Wonderwall
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: Ally mentors at a local teen shelter, helping homeless teens with their problems. She has always been good at listening and offering advice, but after a while, she even decides this may be too much. That is, until Austin comes stumbling through the door late one night, begging for help. Instantly, she's drawn to him. Austin is in the need of a lot of help. Can she handle it? AU.
1. Prologue

**I know I have another chaptered story on here already, but this idea is just eating at me to put it up. It's only a short prologue at first but I can't help myself. Please know in advance this story will be very dark at times and will contain many sensitive themes and such. Austin will be very different from what you see on the show, and Ally will be too. It's AU. They will still have some of the adorable moments and Austin is still damn awesome, but he is not the same character from the show. Enjoy!**

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All her life, Ally had been the one people came to for advice. It didn't matter if she knew them or not, they would stop her wherever she went and ask her for some advice on their problems. At first, it bothered her. She had enough of her own problems and didn't need anyone else to add to it. But after a while, she actually started to enjoy helping others and started to go out of her way to help those around her.

It started with a blog.

She made an account on one of those websites, offering to help the anonymous people of the internet with whatever was bugging them that day. It was a few messages at first… simple problems. Relationships. What they should wear. Should they try and lose some weight. Sometimes, it was serious. Eating disorders. Cutting. But she was always able to help, and if not, she was able to point them in the direction of someone who could.

Her one rule was to remain anonymous. Her followers, even herself. It was how it worked. She gave them the advice but they couldn't say who they really were.

Eventually, someone found out who she was on there and offered her a job at a local teen shelter. These were some of the most messed up kids in the area. Drug addicts. Runaways. The fuck ups. The people who had more problems than what to wear on their first date. She didn't want to do it at first, but the owner, a woman by the name of Marie, said she'd be good at it. It was a mentor program. She'd meet with a few teens a week; talk to them, help them through whatever was going on in their head.

Many times over the last six months, Ally had told Marie that she wasn't a licensed professional and some of these kids needed more help than she was able to give.

Marie insisted that they needed someone their age to help them through.

But there was only so many abuse stories, and drug trips she could take. Ally was planning on quitting the job on the day he walked in. She didn't know what was wrong with him, but the second he stumbled through the door and collapsed at her feet, begging for help, Ally felt a pull she hadn't felt in a long time. A need to help someone.

And she didn't even know who he was.


	2. The Shelter

**Thank you so much to everyone who alerted, favorited, and reviewed! I'm so excited for this it isn't even funny. I know it's dark, so that's a bit weird to be excited, but man, the idea of it makes me excited. Anyway, this chapter is already dark, and it deals with a huge teen problem. I know that many of the Austin and Ally fanbase is also a fan of R5, Ross Lynch's family's band, so I have included them in an AU sense in the story. At the moment, Riker has to be my favorite character to write.**

**All of R5 have problems in this. Serious ones. I don't want anyone to think this is them in real life though, so remember this is fiction.**

Dez also has some serious problems, as do all the other characters you will meet in the next few chapters.

**Ally isn't even all okay at times. She deals with a lot at the place and for her age, she is dealing with too much. Her boss, while a good person, is also overworked and doesn't realize what she lays on Ally all the time. But when it comes down to it, she loves the kids of the shelter and would do anything for them.**

**Okay, enough. Here is the chapter. Please enjoy and let me know what you thought of it. I love hearing what you think. Enjoy!**

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Ally was done. Completely and utterly done. She paced down the hallways of Marie's Shelter, her mind driving her nuts. She couldn't take this job anymore. She had just witnessed yet another breakdown of one of the teens and was close to having one herself. This was not the job for her. She needed to go back to her old blog online and deal with simple problems. Not the kid down the hall, hysterically crying because of abuse suffered months before this.

She was hyperventilating and was unable to stop. Why did the world allow things like this? She considered herself great at giving advice, found she was able to be the rock to many people when they needed one and most of all, they trusted her. But she couldn't take another day like this. In the matter of only the two hours she had been there, the new kid had tried to slit his wrists, the girl who showed up two weeks ago without saying a word had locked herself in the bathroom, and well, now the kid hysterical down the hallway, unable to listen to anyone.

She marched toward the offices, tired of her boss throwing her these kids and not helping at all. She couldn't do everything. She was only sixteen and had problems of her own. The place was over packed and under staffed. In fact, she was the only one around other than Marie, who didn't even want to deal with some of the people she took in.

But it was in that moment when someone pulled her to the side, looking frantic.

"Riker, not now," she begged. She needed to get this over with so she could leave and get on with her life. She loved the boy in front of her, probably more than anyone else in this entire fucked up place, but she had to leave, even him.

He tugged on her arm again, as if he was pleading with her. Could he possibly know what she was thinking?

He shook his head angrily and pointed to the door down the hallway. Dez's room.

"What's wrong with Dez?" she asked.

Riker sighed, looking to her as if to say 'you think I'm actually able to tell you?'

"Okay, let's go," she sighed too, following the mute boy. She walked down to the room where Dez and Riker shared, noticing that the bathroom door was locked. Immediately, Riker made motions to his wrist, as if he was slicing it. She looked alarmed and pounded on the door, yelling for the redhead to open it. No answer. "Are you sure?" she demanded to the blond boy.

He looked sad and nodded.

"Dez! Please open the door. We talked about this the other day. You can't lock yourself in a room. There are better ways to deal with this. You know that. Please, let me in."

Riker looked terrified as he leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. She knew this was his escape from life; closing his eyes brought him to a place she didn't even know about. But she knew it brought him peace that no one was able to shake from her. Her heart ached momentarily, knowing he was hurting from watching his roommate do this, and then focused back on the door in front of her. "If you don't let me in, you know I'm going to break the door down!" she yelled.

As if she could, but it was a nice idea. Well, not a nice one, but it gave her the edge she needed to make the boy understand.

Riker chuckled without noise and shook his head, walking over to the door. He paused, staring at the wood for a moment, and then backed up. "Riker, I didn't actually mean for you to…"

He shook his head again and came running forward, plowing the door with his shoulder. What should have been a loud cry of pain was a gentle sounding thud, and the door imploded, cracking at the lock and sending the blond boy toppling into the room. Dez was in the corner, not moving. Blood around him. She cursed wildly, picking up Riker off the floor. "Go find Marie, and tell her to call for an ambulance," she demanded. Riker didn't need another second, and took off toward the office at the other end of the building.

Dez was still conscious, it seemed but it wouldn't be for long. She was angry with him, not because he was hurting, but because of how he was showing it. Ally knew he had battled with depression all his life and it wasn't the first time he had locked himself in the bathroom, but it never ended like this.

"Dez," she whispered in a voice way too emotional for her own liking. Damn these guys and their way of getting into her heart. "Why would you do that?"

He looked at her, barely able to keep his eyes open. She applied as much pressure to his wrists as she could, but blood was still seeping through at random points.

"Damn it," she muttered, looking for signs of Marie and Riker.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "It just hurts. So bad, Ally."

"I know," she whispered back, kissing his cheek. "But you can't do this. You can't leave me and the others. What would we do without you?"

He didn't answer, as he had slipped into unconsciousness.

"Marie!" she screamed as loud as she was able. A crowd had formed outside the bathroom. The misfits of the area, all watching as one of their own lied crumbled on the floor. Each of them had their problems, some more serious than others. Dez was a misfit too of course, and had severe problems with cutting and depression, like she had mentioned before. But this was an all new low for him… he had never actually tried to take his life.

Marie came running into the room, her eyes wild and terrified. Marie was a beautiful woman, despite what she dealt with for a job. Pretty, tall and thin she stood looking more composed than Ally was. She bent down on her knees, taking one wrist from Ally's hand. "The ambulance is on its way," she said in a soft voice. "Kids, go back to your rooms. Please."

Ally looked on as the others slowly walked away. Riker hung back though, watching his roommate with sad eyes.

"What happened?"

"I don't know," she whispered to her boss, sighing loudly. "Riker found me and told me to come over here. He locked himself in the bathroom and when I got it open, he was on the floor, covered in his own blood. I thought we were making progress, us talking and all. I thought… I don't know."

She broke off, not wanting to show how weak she was in front of her boss. This was not how she was supposed to act. She couldn't blame herself for the problems of those she tried to help, as Marie always told her. Ally could only try and help them to the best of her ability.

"Don't blame yourself. Dez is my responsibility, sweetheart. I should've been watching him more closely. Did he say anything?"

"Just that he was sorry and that he was hurting."

Marie looked close to tears. Dez was her first teen that ever really touched her, and she had adopted the boy as her own. He lived at the shelter, but he was really hers.

The EMTs arrived seconds later, and Dez was loaded onto a stretcher. She bit her lip as he was loaded from the building toward the flashing lights and looked at her hands. His blood was all over her.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to the hospital with Dez. Would you mind staying overnight with the rest of them until I call? I don't want to take any chances after this. Just make sure everyone is here and that they're okay. This is not good for any of them. Thanks!"

Ally was going to protest and tell her she couldn't do this anymore, but she knew her help was needed tonight. She couldn't just leave the rest of the group without anyone, especially when one of their own had just been taken away in an ambulance, fighting for his life. Ally nodded even though Marie was already gone, one of the problems her boss had. She never really gave Ally a choice. She just threw things at her and expected them not to be a problem.

After watching them drive away, Ally walked back into the building, stares directed at her. She smiled warmly at everyone and clapped her hands. "Dez will be fine. Now, it's time to get ready for bed. Please go back to your rooms and I'll be around to make sure you're all okay. If you need anyone to talk to tonight, I'm here."

They did as they were told, except for Riker. He was fidgeting in the corner, his eyes dark and worried. Dez was one of his best friends despite the problems they both had, and she knew this was making him upset. "Do you want to talk?" she asked softly, looking into his pain filled eyes.

He gave her the amused look he always did, when she asked that question. Gently shoving the boy, she only laughed. "You know what I mean, Riker. Go get your notebook and meet me on the steps, okay?"

He also did as he was told and she walked around the small shelter, making sure the group was all okay. She waved to Rydel who was in her room, listening to music, seemingly unaffected by all of it. Rocky was still sulking in his room, but he always did that. Ratliff was pacing, something she found he did when he was trying to keep his mind off other things, and then there was the group toward the back. Then there was the crying boy from earlier, still in his room, eyes red. She waved softly at him, told him that she was around if needed, and walked back toward the front. The others had answered their doors, but had wished to be left alone.

The house was the home of eight teens currently, including the hurt Dez. Ally had a room for when she stayed overnight, which these days, seemed to be happening a lot more. She didn't mind though, as she often spent the nights up with Riker, who didn't sleep much himself. It was a result of an accident a long time ago that had taken his voice.

She met him back on the steps and looked at the blond boy in front of her.

Eyes sad and hurt, this was the Riker she had met about six months ago.

Riker now, was usually a happy but quiet boy who enjoyed his guitar, and video games.

He was her best proof that she was good at what she did, as he had opened up to her in the matter of a month. Marie had told her one time, it took her almost a year to even get him to write anything other than what he needed at the time. And then was Dez, but she didn't even understand their friendship.

Riker was special.

His parents died when he was almost fourteen in a car accident that ended up taking his voice with them. He was relatively unharmed in all of it, but when he woke up in the hospital; his vocal cords were destroyed with no hope of them ever able to work again. It bothered him at first, as he had always been a singer and musician, but over time, he found that he could still play the guitar and be the musician he wanted, just without the voice.

His guitar was something she had only had the privilege of seeing, and she took pride with his trust.

"Hey," she said, taking a seat next to him on the steps of the house. It was their spot, where they often went to get away from the craziness that was the shelter. It was also where Riker would sit at night when he couldn't sleep, and had been the same place where he had finally talked to her for the first time.

He waved simply, and smiled at her.

"Are you okay?"

He shrugged.

"Talk to me," she pressed, touching his shoulder.

Riker sighed and took a pen from the side of him, opening the page of the notebook she had bought him just for these kind of chats. When Riker first got to the house, he didn't even think of something like this. He had just shown up, not able to talk and only had the use of gestures to explain what he needed. Riker now found solace in the fact that he was able to communicate with others again.

_What if he's not okay?_

Ally sighed. "Riker, you can't think that way."

_Yes, I can. Because this is real life and he could die._

"But you can't allow yourself to think that would happen. Dez is strong and Marie is with him. You know how she is. She doesn't give up on anyone and as much as he is hurting, neither does he."

Riker just sighed.

"Don't you give me that look," she chuckled, pushing him.

_I love you, Ally_.

She smiled back at him, and pulled him into a hug. "You're a great person, Riker. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And I love you too."

Just as he was about to mouth something to her, there was a crash at the gate. Ally looked up in alarm and noticed someone stumbling towards them. Riker stood in front of her protectively, and they watched as the person collapsed in front of them.

Ally noticed the blood first, then the bruises.

A weak voice whispered from below them, "Please help me."

Ally looked at Riker and then back at the body, before going into action. "Riker, help me get him up."

Riker walked over to where Ally was now standing, well, bending over the injured person.

"Hi, I'm Ally. I work here. Can you tell me your name?"

The boy at her feet groaned loudly and she noticed he was bleeding really heavy from a spot on his head. "Austin," was the last thing he said before he fell unconscious, leaving them to stare at the blond, and think what could have happened to the unconscious boy at their feet, that led him to the shelter.


	3. Austin

**Thank you so much again for all the reviews and such. I'm glad you guys think this is an interesting idea for a story, and I hope to do it justice. There are a lot of things I plan to do with it in the next few chapters, and eventually, you're gonna see some music take over the story. I know I posted that this story only has eight homeless teens in the shelter during the last chapter, but I might change that because a few more are needed, I think. Austin is also a singer in this but you won't find that out until later. In the chapter after this one, you will find out more about Ally and why she is always there and why she doesn't really have a problem staying overnight all the time. Also, I know it seems like I completely dropped the idea that she wanted to leave, but don't worry, I haven't. Ally is very much a person who wants to help no matter how much she hates herself for it, and she's not one to leave when there is a need for someone around.**

**But there will be some fights coming up, especially between Marie and everyone else, especially Ally. Also, in the next few chapters, you'll be more introduced to some of the kids of the shelter. Riker already plays a huge role because he's Ally's best friend in this. Also, Trish does exist, she just comes in later. :)**

**Okay, onto the chapter, haha. Enjoy!**

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Ally and Riker dragged the boy into the shelter and brought him into one of he unoccupied rooms. After staring at him for a moment, Ally felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Riker was holding his notebook open, showing her a message. _Shouldn't we call for help?_

"Not yet," she said softly, looking at the bloody boy in front of her. "If he's running from someone, we could lead him into more danger by calling for an ambulance. Go find the first aid kit, while I call Marie and find out what she wants me to do." She paused a moment and then added in a soft voice, "Maybe we can find out how Dez is doing, as well."

Riker grinned at that and ran off down the hallway, leaving Ally with the blond boy. She bent over the side of the bed, and brushed the hair out of his face. She couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the poor teen. He was bruised all over his face, while small cuts littered the areas where his skin was supposed to be the normal tone. "What happened to you?" she wondered softly.

Ally ran to get a few towels to clean him up, and when she returned, Riker also had the first aid kit. She motioned for him to follow her, and they both took a seat in front of the boy. While he was bloody and broken looking, Ally couldn't help but notice he had a simple attractiveness to him.

With gentle fingers, she carefully began to clean off the dried blood from his face, stopping to check for the cut where the blood came from. Alarmed as something pricked her, Riker pushed her hands away, and pulled out what looked to be a decent sized piece of glass from the boy's head.

Ally gasped. "What the hell?"

Riker frowned slightly and went to grab something from the first aid kit. He pulled some gauze out from inside, and also began to help clean the boy's face. He didn't stir once and Ally was beginning to worry the reason he collapsed was because of a concussion.

"I think I should call Marie now," she said, standing up onto her feet. "This isn't good."

Riker stood too, starting to pace the room. He looked a bit frantic, but she couldn't place why. Ally dialed the number Marie had given her in case of emergencies, getting frustrated when it went right to the voicemail. It was obvious to why it was off, but how did she expect her to contact anyone if the only person who could help, had their phone off?

"Okay, since she's not answering, we're gonna have to play doctor," Ally said in a small voice. Her medical training was minimum and this was something over what she knew. But if there was no one else to rely on, this would be Ally's job. Sighing to herself, she placed a hand on the bed to sit back down. This was exactly what she was tired of. Once more, she began to clean the boy up, gently using the towel to clean off whatever remained. They found several more pieces of and Ally was starting to feel sick. What had he escaped from?

At least he was safe here.

"Ally?"

Ally jumped, not used to hearing a voice say her name. Riker was of course, silent, so it came as a surprise.

Rydel was standing there, looking concerned. "Who is that? What happened?"

"Rydel, go back to bed."

Riker was staring at the girl. She was definitely a sight, unfortunately. The poor girl had burns covering most of her face and arms, result of a fire that killed the rest of her family years ago. Dez was Rydel's adopted brother, so Ally should have known the girl wasn't going to sleep any time soon and the music was just a way to pretend she was fine.

"Is he okay?"

"I don't know yet."

"Is Dez okay?"

Ally sighed again. "Please, just go back to bed, Rydel. I need to make sure that Austin gets the help he needs."

Riker put his arm on her shoulder and motioned a few times before grabbing Rydel on the arm, leaving Ally alone with the newest hurt person.

Pressing her lips together, Ally tried to think of what to do next. She had managed to make him human looking again, but he wasn't awake still. And for something like that, it could take hours. Well, it wasn't like she was planning on sleeping any time soon so she took a look around her and pulled a blanket down from the shelf. Draping it over the fallen boy, she pulled her own knees up to her chest and waited.

Riker came back in about ten minutes later, wordlessly of course. He placed a hand on her shoulder, alerting her of his silent presence and took a seat beside her. Ally stared at him as she waited for what could be forever, noting how sad he still looked. This frustrated her but she knew his worry over Dez wasn't just going to disappear, at least not until knew he was going to be okay.

"Sometimes, I wish you were able to talk just so I could hear your voice," she blurted without thinking.

He stared back at her with a questionable smirk. He opened his mouth to speak, but of course nothing answered her. Mouthing the words 'you're one of a kind', Ally chuckled and felt a blush creep up her neck.

"Sorry," she finally said. "It's been a long day, Riker."

He patted her on the arm, as if to say he understood and leaned over so his head was resting on her lap. They stayed like this for what seemed like hours, but probably wasn't nearly as long. Ally was quite comfortable with him, and it showed. Of everyone, they had the best relationship and sometimes, Ally wondered if they were too close. One day, he'd end up leaving the shelter, moving on with his life. He possibly would never see her again and she would be back at the point of hating her job completely, never really knowing if she was making a difference or just losing her own mind slowly.

A part of her knew he'd never really be gone, even if he got his own place and tried to live without the help of those around him.

Just as Ally was about to say something to him, a soft groan escaped the lips of the beautiful Austin in front of her.

Ally darted to her feet, almost falling into the bed. Trying not to cause more of a scene, she backed off slightly, waiting for the new guest to open his eyes. And he did so slowly, taking in the scene around him, as if he didn't remember what happened to lead him there. Of course, he probably didn't. He definitely had some sort of head trauma from the glass they had found and he looked a bit green as he sat up and stared into the eyes of Ally and Riker.

"I'm Ally. Do you know where you are?"

This seemed to startle him more. "No… shit. Where am I?"

"You're at Marie's Shelter. You collapsed at the door and we took you inside and cleaned you up and have been waiting for you wake ever since."

Austin seemed a bit confused still, but slowly nodded his head. He winced as the room spun and then looked at the girl before him again. "You wouldn't happen to have any painkillers, would you? My head is spinning and it hurts like hell."

"Not yet," she said in a soft voice, moving to sit next to him. "I need to know a bit more about you first. I know that seems cruel, but the shelter is run in a certain way." He looked a bit worried as she said this and Ally looked to her best friend. "Riker, it's probably best if we do this alone. Would you mind getting Austin something to drink and maybe something small to eat?"

As Riker darted off, Ally looked back at Austin. "You told me before you collapsed that your name is Austin."

"I don't remember much," he whispered and she could tell by his tone that he truly meant that.

"What do you remember last?"

"Um… shit. I mean, I remember waking up this morning and seeing it was sunny, but otherwise, not that much."

"Do you know that your name is Austin, and where you're from? Like stuff you should know by default?"

Austin seemed a bit taken back now and backed away from Ally a bit. She felt bad, as this was pretty common for people like him. So many people showed up here looking lost and hurt and most of the time, they didn't want to talk about why they decided to come, or like Austin, didn't really know why.

"I know who I am and where I came from, but that's about it." He looked alarmed.

"It's okay, relax," she cooed a bit. "I'm not going to judge you in any way. I work here. All I need to know is a bit more about you. I don't know if you were just in a bad way, and overheard me and my friend talking, or if this was your destination all along. And it's okay if you don't know yet, sometimes with head trauma, memories can be blocked. It's usually temporary."

He gulped, looking green again. "Do you have a bathroom?"

Ally stood and motioned for him to follow her. "Right down the hallway."

He ran to it, stumbling on his feet and crashed through the door just in time to empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Ally stood at the door, attempting to give him some privacy, but wanting to make sure he was able to make it back to the room. He stood in there for several minutes, expelling whatever was inside of him.

Riker returned with a bottle of water and a sandwich, before motioning to her room and leaving them alone once again. She was going to ask why he went to hers, when she remembered what his own bathroom looked like.

Austin appeared at the door. "I feel terrible."

"You probably will for a while," she commented back with a faint smile. "Here, drink some water. It'll get that funny taste out of your mouth and it'll make you feel better."

He accepted it gracefully and leaned against the wall. "Jeez, what time is it?"

"Really late," she chuckled. "You can sleep in that room, if you'd like for tonight. I'm staying overnight myself, as our founder is at the hospital with her son." Ally didn't want to tell the already seemingly nervous boy that one of their own had tried to take his life that night. She wanted to make the place seem like a haven in sorts, at least a place where he could stay until he sorted out why he was here, or if needed, make his home. He didn't say a word when she said this and she studied him some more. His face, still littered with the wounds he toppled in with, seemed to be getting more color in it by the minute, yet still looked way too pale. He was much taller than her but seemed small at the same time. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need to. Sleep might help you remember why you're here."

"Thanks. Listen… thank you. I don't know how I ended up here, but apparently I fell into good hands." He paused and a small but playful smile graced his lips for a brief second. "Wait, you're not a murderer, right?"

She chuckled; glad to see some humor was still there. "No, I'm not."

They walked back to the room he'd be in that night. "I'm right down the hall from here. Come find me if you need anything." It was clear he'd been through some kind of ordeal in the last few hours. "There are blankets and a pillow near the door."

"Thanks, Ally. Really."

"You're welcome, but there is no need to thank me. This is what I do." She wanted to say the last part a bit bitterly, but decided scaring away the boy would not help anyone.

"Well, I'm glad someone is here to do it."

"Goodnight, Austin."

"Goodnight, Ally."


	4. Morning

**If you could see the grin on my face right now, you'd think I was crazy. Eight reviews on the last chapter? I love you guys! Seriously, and that was just reviews. A ton of alerts and favorites too. I know I said I was excited about this story, but at the same time, I'm pretty nervous and it's really nice to hear back about the last chapter and know that the idea in my head isn't just good there, but on actual paper, or uh, internet page. Anyway, I really appreciate it and if I could give you all a huge hug right now, I would!**

**As for one reviewer, who was a guest, you posted something about Riker and Ally. When they said they loved each other, what did I mean? Without giving too much away, their relationship will cause problems in the future. Whether it's Ally, or Riker at fault, you'll just have to wait and see. Also, I believe it was the same reviewer, who said Riker wasn't broken; in many ways, he really still is. He went through a terrifying event when he was younger and was expected to go back into the world and not find it hard to deal with what happened. You'll learn more about why he ended up at the shelter and how Ally actually got him to where he was, and why Marie never had that luck. Once again, their relationship and Riker's character is one of my favorite parts of the story so far.**

**As to the romance that some of you want to see... there is a bit of romance in the story, but it is not all of what the story is about. I want to focus on the line I stole from the song Wonderwall, to describe more so, what I'm picturing. "Maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me." While there is a romantic theme to the song by Oasis, the line itself is what gave me the idea for the story and it's much more than that in the story. Like I said, expect lots of dark chapters. Not all of this story will be happy.**

**Okay, jeez, why do I talk so much? I feel like I need to explain parts of this at times, I'm sorry! Haha.**

**In this chapter, you learn more about Rocky. I won't say much yet because there is so much more to him than what you see so far, but he definitely is a dark character, too. Are you tired of the word dark yet? I am. Haha. Anyway, yeah.**

**Okay, onto the story.**

**Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

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Ally woke up the next morning with the bright sun shining in her face. She stifled a yawn and looked around her. Somehow, she had ended up in her makeshift room, and into her bed. As hard as she thought, she couldn't remember placing herself there, but the sleeping blond on the floor gave her an idea to why she was covered with a blanket and comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you can get on a rock hard bed and sheets that had seen better days.

Ally stood, careful not to wake anyone.

It was clear the shelter had seen better days, but Marie was short on cash. Not because the government didn't offer enough help, but because they dealt with so many people who came through. It took a lot to offer what they did here. A warm bed, food, and other enrichment activities all cost money, and many of those resources weren't permanent. Food was constantly being devoured, while sheets became ragged much too fast, and of course, enrichment was often video games, which in time, became overplayed.

And then, there were the people who lived here. While many were people who stayed for months, even years, there were a few stragglers who appeared every few months for a bed, and disappeared again. Then, there were the people who ran away for short periods, only to be picked up the next day and never heard from again. To be honest, those were the ones who were the easiest on her.

While easy, that didn't mean they were the, for lack of better terms, best. Ally did enjoy making friendships with the misfits that lived here. Like Riker, who laid at her feet, looking more peaceful while sleeping than he ever did while awake. At times, he was still such a mystery to her, it was baffling. And then there were times when she could just look at him and know exactly what he was thinking without having to think a second herself.

Either way, the shelter needed more help than it had. Honestly, it really was just Marie and Ally. Others came in to help on occasion, but many folded to the pressure that was the job, leaving the two back at the beginning, hoping someone was a kind soul. Ally, on the other hand, had folded several times because of the job, but as the night before had proved, had never actually had the nerve to leave the place.

Maybe it was because she was just too good of a person.

"Ally?"

Ally jumped into the air, scolding herself for allowing her thoughts to take her away from reality again.

Rocky stood at the door, looking to be in a good mood. Well, a good mood for Rocky, that is. His idea of a good mood was not yelling at every person in the room for things that were not their fault. The teen was moodier than any other person she had ever met, and had severe anger problems. There were many nights when Ally had feared not only for her safety, but for the others around her. If you looked into the room that Rocky occupied, there were several spots where the paint seemed fresher. That would be because Ally had to keep fixing holes in the wall.

But to be honest, Rocky could be sweet when he wanted to. Despite his moody exterior, the boy had a young face and a warm smile. When he wasn't trying to destroy all around him, they could enjoy their time together. He wouldn't admit it, but she'd caught him eyeing Riker's guitar on several occasions. He was definitely a hard one to crack though, and Ally felt like she may never really "reach" him. Every time she got close to trying to figure out how he worked, he'd shut off, or worse, would get angry.

"Um, hello, Ally?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Rocky. What's up?"

He smirked a bit at her, obviously amused by how spacey she was being that morning. Ally wasn't always like this… in fact, she hated people who couldn't focus and get what needed to be done, done. But lack of sleep and a loaded work schedule made for an Ally not anyone was used to. "I was just wondering if you had a second."

"Of course." She glanced down at Riker, who hadn't stirred and stepped out of the room, closing the door. "Are you okay?"

He ignored the question, as he always did. "I was wondering how Dez was doing," he admitted in a smaller voice, something she didn't expect. Dez and Rocky didn't get along, mainly because Rocky was always teasing him, or making fun of him. Ally blinked, trying to process why he would ask that.

Ally finally managed to reply, "I haven't heard from Marie yet. She never returned last night, so I assume she's still at the hospital."

"I know it seems weird that I care," he continued, as if to read her mind, "but for some reason, it kept me up last night. I don't even like the guy, but I couldn't help but feel strangely about him doing… uh, that."

Ally nodded, now understanding a bit more. "When you say strangely, what do you mean?"

He considered her question, leaning back against the wall. Playing with his fingers, he glanced back up at her. "Like, maybe it could be my fault."

"Rocky…"

"I mean, I didn't say anything to him yesterday. Well, nothing out of what I'd normally say. I called him a loser, but that wouldn't have caused him to do that, would it?"

He was guilty, it dawned on her. "Rocky, we've talked about this before. You shouldn't say stuff to people that is meant to hurt them. You may think that it's just a silly comment, but to the other person, it could really be the last straw."

Alarm rang through his deep features. "I did cause it, then?"

"I didn't say that," she said. "Dez has a lot of problems, and while I'm sure the comment didn't help him at all, what he did last night happened for more than one reason. I can't say what caused him to think that way, but I can assure you, you're not to blame. But I can tell you, that it's over now, and we need to think forwardly. And that I don't want to discuss Dez with anyone else because he isn't here right now, and can't defend himself to anyone. Dez's problems are now between Marie and his doctors, and until I'm told otherwise, I don't want his name to come up in conversation. It's better that way, not only for just him, but for all of us. I do think you should consider the result of what your words might do to someone though. Next time, that should be the most important thing on your mind."

Rocky didn't say anything else, but stared off into the hallway.

"But if you need to talk to anyone…"

"No, I'm good," he snapped, stalking off before Ally could get in another word. He disappeared into his room, slamming the door behind him. Ally sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. This was going to be a long day, full of questions about the redhead that she just didn't have the answers to. And with a group like the shelter kids, rumors were bound to spread. So, telling Rocky what she told him, was needed.

Riker appeared beside her, his eyes glimmering with curiosity. With a shake of her head, she took his hand and led him toward the kitchen area. With the help of his, they prepared some breakfast for the others. Ally herself wasn't hungry, but she felt that the teens could use an extra special breakfast that morning, after the night before.

A delicious smell soon woke up the others and one by one, they trickled in. Rydel sat down next to Riker. Ratliff took a seat by himself, as he normally did. He was a loner and always had been. Then there was Jade and Oliver, who often sat together but never really said a word. Both of them were the least problematic of the group. Simply, they were just homeless and took solace in the shelter. Rocky decided not to grace the others with his presence. Ally, about to take her seat next to Riker, finally realized something was off.

In the craziness of the morning, she had forgotten of the visitor who had stumbled in last night. She stood again, walking out of the room without explanation, toward the room she had left Austin in the night before.

But when she got there, she found herself shocked.

Austin was gone. He didn't leave a note, or even a trace that he even existed in the room at all. For a moment, she wondered if she imagined the entire thing last night out of worry, but then remembered Riker had been there too.

As if he knew she was thinking about him, he appeared, looking confused too.

"He's gone," she said, even though it was obvious. "I mean, I know it was a long night, last night but he definitely was here, right? I'm not crazy… right?"

Riker chuckled silently, but nodded.

"What do I do?" she wondered out loud, forgetting she was the one who was supposed to make decisions around the place and not rely on Riker for help. He shrugged though and took a seat on the floor of the hallway.

Even though she asked that question, she knew there wasn't much she really could do. If Austin was gone, he was gone. She could only help whoever was there, and not someone who decided to leave. Maybe he woke up that morning before everyone else and remembered what happened the night before. Maybe he got into a bar fight and felt stupid showing up at the doorstep there, but the idea made Ally laugh because the guy was her age. They were not of age to drink. Or maybe he fell somewhere the night before and felt stupid for thinking he actually had real issues.

But that idea was wrong, too.

Ally knew the truth to why she felt the need to actually help the kid.

The bruises and cuts were real. The pain that was flickering in his eyes was real, and while she didn't want to admit it, she was feeling a need that she hadn't felt in months at the shelter, the need to help someone. Maybe the actions of the night before were messing with her emotions and she was overanalyzing a simple reason behind all of this, but the need to help someone (as she was unable to help Dez) was pulsing strong in her. Call her crazy, but she knew wherever Austin was right then, he was still in the need of help.


	5. Ally

**I seriously love you guys. There are no words for how much I love you guys. The amount of feedback I'm getting for this is just unbelievable to me! WOW! I love that you are enjoying it and I'm excited that you're excited to see where this goes. A major thank you to brz who kicked my ass into gear and made me realize a few things though.**

**I didn't realize when I started this, having Ally so young and somewhat irresponsible made no sense in what this story is about. Brz mentioned how a sixteen year old wouldn't be in charge at a shelter, even for a little while. I definitely agree, and once I figure out how to go back and edit chapters without having to replace the entire thing (is there a way?), I'm going to change that aspect of the story. For the sake of future chapters, Ally is 21 and you'll find out more of her background in this chapter.**

**Brz also mentioned that Marie is very irresponsible herself. This is correct and is part of the problem that is very soon coming up.**  
**Let's just say... Trish comes into the story within the next few chapters, and she's not exactly the Trish you see on the show. Actually, she's held a job for a long time, and is a professional in her field. :) I'm really excited for her character, as she's still Trish but definitely a more reponsible Trish. For the sake of the story, they're not the same age. As that too would be impossible. Trish will be in her late 20s.**  
**As for everyone else's ages, Riker and Rydel are both 18. Jade and Oliver are 16. Rocky is 17 as is Ratliff. Dez is also 18. Austin, is 17. If I forgot anyone, feel free to yell at me!**  
**Now, I think I've covered most of the stuff I needed to tell you... but uh... yeah.**

**IMPORTANT IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT IMPORTANT!**  
**I'm going on vacation tomorrow, so I WILL NOT BE UPDATING until this weekend. I know that really isn't that long, but I just wanted to let you all know. That goes for my other story, too.**

**Okay, I think that is all. This is my longest chapter yet, it includes a flashback to how Ally got the job, and a bit more background to why Ally is always around. Her music is starting to have a play in the story toward the end, and in future chapters, you'll see how she uses that to not only keep her own sanity, but keep the groups sanity as some major changes happen. After you learn a bit more about Marie in this, you may be able to understand the changes that will happen.**

**Okay! I'll shut up now! Thank you so much again. Please let me know what you think. Also, if you happen to have Riker around, or Rocky, I'll gladly take him with me tomorrow on vacation. Something about those boys in a bathing suit is just yum. Enjoy!**

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The sudden gust of air that rushed down the hallway shook Ally from her own head, and she absently looked to see where it came from. Standing in the doorway, was a worn looking Marie. Her eyes were clouded and red with sleep and the almost empty coffee in her hand told Ally that the woman had not slept at all the night before. Guilt zapped her; Ally had gone to sleep despite all the problems… did she even deserve to?

Riker stood immediately, nearly tackling the woman. She held up her hands, as if to say 'back off'. Her eyes flickered to Ally, and a gentle, but shaky smile attempted to become her face. "Good morning," she croaked in a soft voice. "Are the others awake?"

Without a word, Ally motioned to the kitchen with her free hand. Somehow, in the less few minutes, she had begun to grip the hand of Riker's and was attempting to read her boss's expression. Other than the obvious exhaustion, she was noticing her boss's face revealed nothing of the night before.

"Could you get them to come into the main rec area," she finally replied, setting down her light coat on a chair near the entrance. "I'll be in there in a few minutes. I need to freshen up."

Ally did as she was told, like always, but worry was eating away at her. Equally Riker, as well because she noticed he never took away his hand but instead was gripping hers even tighter than before. In a few minutes time, the group was sitting in the living area of the old place and all shared similar expressions to Ally and Riker. They wanted to know about Dez and didn't want to wait anymore.

It was almost a relief in a sick way, since it took her mind off Austin and his disappearance.

Almost.

But she looked around her, studying the faces she knew all so well. Other than Rydel, who often wore her emotions on her sleeve, they all seemed too calm. But when you live with people like Dez, something like this isn't really that surprising, just a tragedy of sorts.

"Good morning, guys," Marie walked, her voice just as it was minutes ago.

"Is it a good morning?" Rydel questioned darkly, her eyes filling with tears, seeing the woman who had adopted her. Dez was her brother, as far as she was concerned.

Marie took in a deep breath and took a seat next to Ally. "As you all know, I went with Dez to the hospital last night. I spent the entire night there, waiting for news from the doctors. Until a few hours ago when his doctor found me and told me he had been stabilized. Dez will be okay."

Rydel started to sob.

As the tension of the room slowly lifted, Ally sucked in a breath of her own. "So, when is he coming back then? I assume that they'll keep him in a few days and then let him go back to you, right?"

"That's what I needed to talk to you all about," she said, placing an arm on Ally who was trying to remain calm herself. "Dez will be okay, but I was also able to talk to him for a bit today. We both agreed that living here is not helping him in any way and that entering a stricter rehab type facility is the best course of action."

"What?" even Ally had to ask.

"What's wrong with us?" Jade spoke up, quietly. Her words shot out like venom. "I know we're all a little fucked sometimes, but we're a family. With the exception of Rocky, no one has ever tried to hurt him. We stick together… I consider him a brother. He needs to stay here. We're missing a piece without him."

"Nothing is wrong with any of you," Marie said firmly. "But Dez needs more help than what we can offer here. If you haven't noticed lately, we're short staffed. He wants to do this. It's nothing against any of you. He loves you all dearly, but if we want to show that we love him as much back, we have to let him go. I'm going to call around today, so I need you guys to be relatively quiet for me."

The news made the entire room lull a bit. All eyes were on each other, unable to believe they were going to lose one of their own. While they all knew of his serious depression, it was sort of an unspoken assumption that being here meant you were okay. Not actually broken, just in the need of a mend. Broken people didn't live here. But apparently they did.

Ally knew this, but the others all thought of each other as family.

And in their eyes, their family was just a bit off, not broken.

"Okay guys," Ally said, deciding it was time to get everyone up and into activities that would give them something to do, to get their minds off of the redhead they loved so much. "Why don't we have a video game party in my room, in a half hour. I'll run to the store and get some treats."

As much as everyone smiled at this, she knew no one was actually happy. As the trickled back out, including Riker, Marie stood face to face with her boss.

"Is he really going to be okay?"

Marie sighed, running a hand through her greasy hair. "I'm not sure. He wasn't as optimistic as I said he was. In fact, he didn't want to do any of what I said. But I'm starting to wonder if this was all my fault, Ally. I should've seen the warning signs. How did I not?"

Ally nodded. Understandable. They were all her kids, in a sense.

"He needed more attention on him," she mumbled to herself, playing with a string on her shirt. As the woman rambled guiltily, Ally couldn't help but wonder if she realized that the shelter needed help. Not only from a standpoint of obvious reasons, but help in the sense that Ally was still a volunteer and didn't sign up for this.

"Where is Rocky?" she finally noticed.

"In his room, being moody as usual. I tried talking to him, but he didn't want much of it. He thinks that Dez doing what he did is because of him." Ally paused, then explained, "He called him a loser yesterday. I told him the truth. Don't say it, but it wasn't his fault."

Marie shook her head. "Sometimes, I wonder about that boy."

"He needs help," Ally commented softly, hoping her gentle dig at her boss would show what she was letting happen. Ally could only do so much and with a nearly non existent boss around, the battle was already over; and no one had won.

"Okay, let me get on the phone like I said. I know I promised you once I got back you could go home, but if you could keep them occupied until I'm done, that would be great. I should only be an hour or two."

Ally didn't even say a word. Was she serious? This was exactly what she meant! The group had just lost one of their own and were all hurting. It was stuff like this which made her lose the employees she had, and the reason why Ally was growing tired of giving a shit about the woman. The group yes, but her? Not anymore. While she understood the importance of finding a place for Dez to go, it was a bit more important that she actually look at the kids she had taken in, and reassure them herself that everything would be okay. No, though. Typical Marie only thought of herself. It was a miracle this place was even still around. But instead of saying what she really felt, she just nodded her head, used to this. Growing way too used to this.

Ally wondered how many more breakdowns, fights, and just plain terrible days would have to happen, or who would have to get hurt before she realized just how fucked up she was being. Maybe she could actually hire someone to look out for the group. Maybe, someone who was more equipped to deal with this kind of thing.

Angrily, she grabbed her keys from her room and took off toward the store, hoping that when she got back, the place would somehow be the way that Marie explained it when she started.

_Ally sat down on her computer, with a cup of tea, preparing to check her email and her advice blog. Just the other day, she had over eight new messages in only a few hours. It seemed like her blog was getting popular! As she logged onto, she noticed she had over two dozen new messages._

_"Wow," she gasped, scrolling through the list. Thankfully, most of them were trivial and she was able to give answers in a few short minutes._

_As she went to check her email, her post from the day before caught her eye. Zero replies, she saw sadly._

_It had read; 'Hey guys! I know I'd like to remain anonymous on here and I plan to stay that way, but I'd also like to ask if you know of any places in the need of volunteers currently. I just recently started my senior year in college and I'm majoring a double in social work and criminal justice to be a social worker. It's a lot of work, but I'm getting there! I have almost perfect grades (that's because my social life is near nothing) but my course load requires a volunteer grade that matches my major. It can be anything related to the criminal justice field, and I'd need to be there to earn enough hours. If you know of any opportunity in the __Miami__, __Florida__ area, please let me know through my email. I'll get back to you and hopefully we can work something out! Xo'_

_So, seeing no one had any help for her so far, she sighed. Ally was desperate to graduate and move on with her life, but it was the third week in classes when she noticed she had yet to fill the void spot that was volunteering. It wasn't like she didn't want to; Ally had loved volunteering at the cat shelter when she was younger. But as a senior, most of her classes were important to her degree, and time was tough. She had little free time already, how would this opportunity help her, instead of hurt her?_

_But when she opened her email, her eyes saw an unfamiliar post from someone named Marie Payne._

_'Hello, dear. I saw your ad on your blog, which I love by the way. One of my own showed me it the other day. She was asking you for fashion advice! Back on topic, my name is Marie Payne and I own a shelter in midtown __Miami__ that houses abused and homeless kids. We are currently looking for someone to mentor several of the group a few hours a week. This would entail perhaps advice (which you are so good at), or even something as simple as going shopping with a few of the girls so they can have a fun day. I've done this before with several students from universities around the area and most students get a great thrill to help those around them. If you are interested and would like more details, please email back on this address, and we could discuss meeting and hopefully getting you set up!_

_Regards,_

_Marie Payne_

_Marie's Shelter_

_The name had actually sounded familiar to Ally, as she read the closing email. She had probably passed it more times than she could remember, going to her old job at Sonic Boom in the mall. Ally looked over the email again, trying to decide if this would be good for her. She already offered advice to those around her, why not do it in person and with people who really need her help?_

_It would be very rewarding to see the results of a smile, or even a chat first hand, and Ally couldn't help but email back excitedly, giving the woman her name and phone number._

_Within the hour, Marie had returned her call, asking her to come down for an interview. Something about a background check and other legal procedures were mentioned, but Ally didn't remember much else. She was just excited._

_So, the next day, Ally walked down to midtown, standing in front of what looked to be a rundown brick house. The door was open (something she would later learn meant anyone was welcome, as it only closed at night to protect the people inside) and a weak looking banner hung from the door sill, "Marie's Shelter." Ally followed the steps to the door, and wondered if she was supposed to just go inside._

_When no one seemed to be around at all, Ally walked into the doors and down the hallway, hearing several voices coming from what looked to be a rec area._

_A girl, who was horribly scarred, was standing near a TV, yelling at a boy who wasn't saying a word back. He was grinning though, hitting the video controller with his hands as he played what looked to be an old school game. Not bad. Ally cleared her throat and attempted to smile at the pair. "Hello. My name is Ally; I'm here to meet with Marie Payne. Do you know where I can find her?"_

_The girl nearly squealed, jumping up and down. "You gave me advice! Marie told me about you! Thank you so much, I really loved the outfit you showed me!"_

_Ally was taken back. This was definitely odd; it was like having a fan._

_The boy just swatted her and Ally had to laugh a bit._

_"I'm Rydel," she gushed, running over to her. "And that's Riker, but he doesn't talk. Oh my Gosh, I can't believe I'm meeting you in person! I check your blog daily on my computer time! It's so lovely!"_

_"Thank you," she told her with an honest smile. "But can you tell me where Ms. Payne is?"_

_"Oh! Right! I'm sorry!" she giggled. "It's just… I'm the only girl here currently. I just… I don't get to talk to anyone about clothes and fashion and your blog is my savior! Come on, follow me, I'll take you to her office!" She giggled, taking Ally's hand and if it wasn't for the fact that she looked her actual age, somewhere around eighteen, she would've swore the girl was a kid._

_"Marie!" she yelled at a glass door that happened to be blurred. "Ally's here! You know, the one with the blog?!"_

_Suddenly, there was yelling from the other side._

_"I'm sorry," a man's voice said. "I'm not doing this anymore, Marie! You have a nice concept here, but this place needs help! You don't even have a licensed therapist checking in anymore! Do you expect these kids, especially that new boy Rocky to really get the help he needs when it's just you, me, and Day here? Because it's not going to work! Not to mention, I've NOTICED, Marie. Don't think you can keep it from me. I see you bring the bottle in every day, and I know it's not water. I'm not stupid. You'll have to find someone else to deal with this shit. It's NOT worth it!"_

_There was a loud crash and then the line, "I'm licensed to help these kids, Nate! You can't just get up and leave! What about the rest of the group?"_

_"Do you not understand that, that kid Rocky tried to HIT me the other day? That he's emotionally unstable and all you care about is getting the government money, Marie! I honestly hope its going to the right place and not into your pockets, worse, paying for that addiction of yours. Then again, if I was stupid enough to think this would work, I'd be drinking vodka like its water, too!"_

_"Don't you ever accuse me of taking the money for myself!" she snapped angrily. "I love these kids like their my own! I'm in the process of adopting Rydel." Her voice dropped considerably, "I'm begging you, Nate. I need your help. I'll look into getting more employees and finding another therapist. I just need you to stay."_

_"No," he said simply, and the door opened, leaving Rydel and Ally looking shocked. "I'm done. Have a great day, Marie. Hope you figure this shit out."_

_A balding man with an angry expression stormed down the hallway, and both girls stared at the obviously upset Marie with sad eyes._

_"What did you need, Rydel?" she said._

_"This is Ally," she said, in a voice that no longer matched the one from the rec room. "She's here for an interview. You know, the one with the blog?"_

_Marie's eyes lit up then, and Ally should've run at that moment she was still able. "Oh, hello! It's so nice to meet you, Ally. Come in. Let's discuss this job!"_

Ally had taken the job later that week, after she passed a background check, and Marie had seen how much Rydel had taken a liking to her. She was already understaffed then, only having one other person in the building after Nate's outburst the week before.

There was Day, a woman in her late forties who looked like she belonged in the hippie age. She was good at what she did though and the kids were often smiling when they left the room with her. But one wasn't enough and it was clear to Ally even then how messed up her shelter really was. But not knowing her then, Ally just assumed she was hiring new people and that everything would pick up.

It didn't. Day quit about two months after Ally started, saying too that Marie needed to get her stuff together before she was shut down by the government. Ally wondered too how she managed to survive, especially while getting money from them, without seeing the mess that was the inside of the place.

A few weeks after Day left, a man by the name of Liam got a job, fresh off the job search. He was a young man, very handsome, but too folded under the pressure. He was supposed to be the new therapist. He took only a few weeks with the kids before he stormed out one day, and never came back.

It was probably why Ally was getting so angrily with what was supposed to be a volunteer job. She had become the therapist in a sense, the one who talked to the group while Marie wandered off into the office, disappearing for hours at a time. Sometimes, she'd hear her crying, only to come back into the room looking like new and ready to tackle the day's problems.

Ally was also the best friend, the fight breaker, and everything else there was.

She was twenty one. And had more on her plate than anyone else she knew.

It seemed simple to leave, like she had planned the night before. But in all honesty, she was better cut out for a future in the criminal justice field than she realized. She loved the group with all her heart and had a problem saying no, if you haven't noticed.

Ally feared, leaving them just with Marie, the woman would snap and God only knows where the group would end up. Both Rydel and Riker were eighteen, able to go off on their own if needed. But if the state intervened and took the others, they would go into the foster care system, which was honestly more fucked than the shelter. She couldn't imagine Rocky going into a house, or find one at all. His temper and anger would make him the kid no one wanted. At least here, someone listened. Someone actually cared.

Sometimes, she wondered why she was getting into that part of the field, anyway. Too many sad stories, not enough happy endings. Was it vain to think she could change it all?

Ally sighed, as she walked back to her own house, which she had not been in for nearly two days. Walking in with her bag still tightly on her arm, she called out, saying she was home.

No answer.

Typical, unfortunately. After her parents shut down Sonic Boom a few years ago and decided to retire, they were often out partying with other families, usually much out of their league. They were in debt and often forgot they even had a daughter, it seemed as the fridge never seemed to be filled if it wasn't for Ally.

Ally went to her room and set down her bag on her bed, going over to her keyboard. Her parents had sold her piano over two years ago, to pay off some of the ever growing debt. It was a miracle they still had the house.

Opening her trusted book, she began to play a song that had been written a few weeks ago.

She missed the time when she was able to sit down and just play on the piano, write constant songs and actually enjoy that aspect of her life. It had been her dream at one time to be a world known musician but her fear of the stage kept her grounded and in the need of a real job.

Her book was filled of old songs and thoughts at the time; a bit of her own safe haven.

Ally sighed again, knowing how fucked up her life was.

After sitting there for nearly an hour, trying to put words into music, she tossed the book onto the bed and went downstairs to make dinner, where she ate alone.


	6. Sonic Boom

**Did I mention how much I love you guys yet? Because I do. So much. Thank you again. Six reviews is awesome and I keep seeing the alerts and such go up. I love seeing that. As an author, I fear people not wanting to read my stuff and I'm glad someone is. So, thank you.**

**Now, onto something I wasn't going to address publicly, but I feel it needs to be said. THIS IS NOT A HAPPY, UNICORNS PLAY IN THE FIELDS story. Yes, it has many happy moments coming up, and some of it is damn right adorable (wait until you see a scene I have planned coming up!) but the beginning is very dark and sad. I'm building up to something and if you don't like that, please just stop reading. I don't need to be told it's sad. I KNOW it's sad. And I don't mean that 'oh, this is so sad, please continue!' because that's fine.  
****I got a couple reviews and one PM asking and saying certain things, that were not only a bit rude, but unnessary. If you don't like it, just stop reading it. It's not a breakup, you don't need to let me know you might lose interest. I UNDERSTAND if it's not for you. But I work hard on this story and I'd rather what you say if constructive. I can take it, I promise.  
In all, thank you to everyone.  
I have not said who will be falling for who in this, whether or not there will be Auslly or Rilly or anything else. I have a few set endings, that I will choose from. Romance is important in this, but it's not the main theme. Friendship, trust, and music are some of the themes. Music plays a heavy role in the coming up chapters.**

**Actually, in this chapter, you see Ally have a memory or two, and you see a softer side to Rocky.**

**And then in the next chapter... oh man. Let's just say Trish makes her entrance. :)**

**Please let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

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Ally woke up the next morning, feeling the warm Florida sun through her window. She stood, preparing herself for the day by doing a bit of yoga. She had a meeting with one of her school counselors that day. It was spring break and that would soon be over, meaning she had to meet with Mr. Styles before classes started again. It was nearing down to the last couple months of her classes and all counselors wanted to see their students, mainly to make sure they were prepared to graduate and had all the needed qualifications to do so.

Ally was excited for graduation, but nervous at the same time. Despite her success (if you want to call it that) at the shelter, she still had no idea what she was going to do once school was done and she had her college degree. Like many her age, they finished school and then stared at the world, wondering how they were supposed to live when there were no jobs. She knew she was qualified for a ton of different positions, but somehow, she knew none of them were open for her taking.

After dressing and eating a small breakfast, Ally grabbed her keys and went out to the car she had saved up for, for nearly her entire life. It was a beat up red Volkswagen but she loved it dearly. While the outside was in desperate need of a new paint job and probably other things, the inside was still beautiful; leather in tact and much because of her own effort, smelled like new. Ally hung a music note from inside the rear view mirror, still showing her love of song writing and love in general of the dream she had given up so long ago. Stage fright could ruin anyone and unfortunately for Ally's serious talent, it had run her dream dry a few years before.

She played with the object for several minutes going over her own thoughts, before noticing the time and pulled away, into town where she would meet with Mr. Styles.

All was well. She was doing exceptionally well in all her classes, and the now extra volunteer hours made her entire GPA look wonderful. Ally was pleased, but exhausted. Not only did the shelter mean that she was always busy, but with final exams and all other graduation activities coming up, that meant her time would be even less.

Ally drove slowly toward the shelter where she knew the day would be against her. As she pulled to a light, she thought bitterly about how Marie would run off again, leaving her with too many problems for her own liking. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts, she hardly noticed the person crossing the street, and nearly ran into him.

Screeching to a stop just before the front bumper hit the poor guy; Ally felt her own heart jump into her chest. What was she doing! She nearly hit an innocent pedestrian for her own ignorance of driving! Ally got out of the car before even looking up, forgetting that there was traffic behind her, ready to apologize her butt off.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried to the person who was hunched over, obviously shocked they were still alive. "I didn't see you! I mean, that's not your fault, I was day dreaming but oh my God, I'm so, so sorry! Can I do anything for you, can I…"

She stopped when the boy looked up at her. They shared equally surprised expressions for a moment before the blond went expressionless. "Austin?" she gulped. "Oh God, I'm sorry!" She paused for a moment, studying him. He was still in the same clothes as he was the night she met him; and they too were covered in blood. Next to him, was a guitar that looked worse for wear, but still very loved. All in all, he didn't look well. "Where did you go the other night? I thought you … I was so worried and confused!"

He stared back at her. "I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. I don't know you."

Ally chuckled a bit, thinking it was a joke. When he didn't say a word back, she deadpanned. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know you. Don't worry about what just happened. I too wasn't paying much attention. Have a good one."

He ran off before Ally could get another word in edgewise and left her in the middle of the road, staring at his retreating figure. What was that? That was definitely Austin. The guitar was new, but she couldn't have missed that face anywhere. For someone who looked so rundown and beaten, he had such a boyish, happy face. That was Austin, but why was he running?

Honk!

The car behind hers grew angry though and Ally only saw the blond bob turn a corner down the road, leaving her to wonder what had just happened, and if she'd ever see him again.

With a sigh, Ally got back into her car and drove toward her destination, feeling more confused and distant than ever.

When Ally got to the shelter, it was too quiet. With a house full of teenagers, there was always some kind of craziness going on. Whether it be a video game match in the living room or music blasting so loud you could hear it from outside, it was something. But there was nothing and that concerned Ally.

She walked quickly toward Riker's room and knocked on the door. He opened it seconds later, looking relieved to see it was her. He ushered her in after glancing down the hallway, closing the door behind him. He pulled her to the bed and Ally noted the nervousness in his actions.

"What is wrong?" she laughed a bit, but was getting nervous herself.

Riker looked around for some paper and a pen and started to write quickly for her. _Some social worker is coming to the shelter tomorrow. Marie's freaking out. Told us all to stay in our rooms and not make any noises. I don't know what's up. She hasn't left the office though._

Ally bit down on her lip. Social worker? In all her time being here, she had never seen anyone come check up on the group. It seemed a bit weird, to have something approved by the state and yet, there wasn't anyone enforcing whatever should be done. Like, you know, having employees and trained professionals to help with the job.

It made sense all the sudden. Marie knew she was screwed and that's why she was freaking out. Ally didn't know what to say or do, but shutting the kids into the rooms for the day wasn't helping anyone. If anything, she should have told them to help fix the place up in the ways that they could, or at least try and do something to calm their nerves. Because when you already have emotionally abused kids in a house together, adding to their problems wouldn't help anyone.

Obviously with all of this, Ally was expected to save the day.

She finally looked up at Riker with sad eyes. This wouldn't be good no matter how you shaped it. "I'm going to find her. I'll be back in a bit."

She didn't let him say anything before she darted out of the room, closing the door behind her. The hallways seemed almost haunted as she walked down them and entered the last hallway which housed Marie's office. She saw from the blurred glass that she was inside, but the woman didn't seem to be moving.

With a nod, she waited patiently at the door, wondering what she would find on the other side. Would Marie be drunk? Crying… completely done? Too many thoughts were flowing through her head at this and Ally felt sick thinking about what could happen here tomorrow if this was as bad as it seemed to be shaping up. But she could be wrong… maybe, this was all a misunderstanding and once she talked to Marie everything would be fine.

"Ally!" the woman gushed, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Those were terrifying words to come from her mouth.

"Oh?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yes!" Her eyes darted around outside before she pulled the small teen into her office and shut the door. The woman didn't sit but paced behind her desk that was oddly filled with 'success stories' and other awards she had gotten over the years. The blonde woman bit down on her lip before glancing down at Ally, her eyes showing the fear that Ally had a feeling was boiling inside of her. "I need your help."

Ally stared back, this time unable to form words.

"I need you to … I need you to…" she broke down. Marie broke down right there in the office. Hysterically in tears and clutching her desk, the woman sat down and buried her shaking hands into her face. She stayed like that for what seemed like forever, or at least until Ally cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Ally. I'm under a bit of a problem right now. My social worker for the kids is coming tomorrow and you probably didn't know this, but I'm supposed to have a set list of things in order to be a functioning shelter. She comes about every six months. I have pushed it off now for almost a year. Flu here, a problem there but now the woman is coming tomorrow and I don't have a SINGLE thing that is right. I don't even have employees!" She reached for a bottle of water and Ally had a sinking feeling that it wasn't actually that. "I'm going to be in so much trouble!"

Ally just … she didn't know what to say. What did she expect her to do? Magically fix things that she had no control over? She was a volunteer, one stretched to her limits, but that was all she was. Sure, she feigned other things for the woman so that everything got done, but they couldn't lie to the state. ALLY, wouldn't lie to the state.

It didn't seem to concern her boss that if she got into trouble, the place would most likely be shut down. And then the kids would be thrown into foster care again, and Ally shuddered at the thought. Some of those kids would never make it there. Rydel would, as she was pretty unbreakable when it came to fitting in with new people despite her looks, and Riker would adjust over time. It was Rocky and Ratliff who would sink in this. They'd end up homeless on the streets and she didn't want that. Even if Rocky was an asshole most of the time.

"I need to … I don't know what to do. I don't want them to think that I'm a bad owner. I have three degrees for God's sake! I'm trained as a psychologist and I minored in social work in college. I can handle this! It's just a rough patch."

It seemed as if she was trying to convince herself, not Ally and Ally knew she had no reason to be in the office. Despite her being a completely mess, the woman knew she couldn't drag Ally down with her. They were screwed, of course, but somehow, Ally knew the woman would have some kind of plan within the next day. A good one, probably not, but there would be some shady thing to keep the place open. Not even to save the kids, but to save her boss's job. How sad.

Ally stood and left the woman sobbing again. She couldn't deal with this. A part of her wanted to take as many as she could and just leave, but what was someone her age going to do with that many kids? She wasn't able to provide for them, and she wasn't able to control half of them. But her body ached for what could happen now.

"What's going on?" Rocky said softly, startling her. He looked terrified, rare for him and he was leaning on his doorframe, watching Ally.

"It's nothing important," she said distantly. A part of her wanted to run right then but the other part of her knew that she could never really leave. She wouldn't feel right, especially leaving Riker behind. He had no one. And he was hers, in a sense. They were best of friends and she knew everything to know about the boy. If Ally were to leave, who would he trust? Would he stop trusting everyone? Ally shuddered at the thought.

"You look upset."

"I'll be fine," she swore with a smile. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing. We were told to stay quiet so Marie could work." He stared at the glass door down the hall. "Seems like she's hard at work down there."

Ally wanted to defend the woman, but she found she couldn't. She ignored his comment instead and just shrugged.

"If you're not busy," he started off, in a voice she didn't recognize. "I was wondering if you could take me somewhere."

Ally had not felt more tense than she did right in that moment. She had agreed to take Rocky somewhere, against her better judgment, and she was now standing what used to be her store. Sonic Boom, with the same name, had been taken over by hippies who made the place a bit more relaxed. While it was still the same store in many ways, the place now seemed more of a music lounge than a store. Either way, she hadn't been in the place in years and just the thought of everything she'd done there over the few years she'd worked inside made her sad. Over in that corner, she had kissed her first boyfriend, Dallas for the first time. He had been sweet, but ended up moving and she had never heard from him again. In that corner, her hair had gotten stuck on the wall because of something a friend did when she was young. And in that corner, where the grand piano used to be, Ally had lost her virginity. To Dallas, of course.

Ally Dawson, not as prude as you think.

(But she had never wanted to be on that grand piano again for a while.)

"Are you okay?" Rocky asked. "You look freaked. I should only be a minute. I just wanted to pick up something for myself."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Ally walked over the store, admiring what was once her first love. Wandering up the stairs, like she had forgotten it wasn't hers anymore, she made her way to the practice room. Inside, not much had changed. Ally marveled at her childhood and stood in the doorway, staring. Once she realized the piano was back where it used to be, she rushed forward and began to play.

It felt wonderful. She played for nearly a minute before someone cleared their throat in the doorway.

Alarmed, she jumped. It was only Rocky. Her heart raced at the thought of being caught playing and her cheeks went pink in shock at his smile. "You play?" he asked.

"I used to," she said absently. "Not much anymore."

"How'd you know this was up here?"

"I … uh… lucky guess."

"No," a voice said from behind Rocky. "That's Ally. Her parents sold me this store a few years ago." The man stepped forward and she recognized him. His name started… it was an odd name. Something hippie sounding… "Do you remember me, Ally? I'm Bear. My wife and I bought Sonic Boom."

She nodded and stood up, feeling really embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I'll be leaving now. I just… nevermind! Bye!"

Ally rushed down the steps and out of the store. She felt herself tearing up, but she wasn't sure why. Whether or not she missed music, or just the feeling of having the practice area to herself, she didn't know. But she missed it.

"What was that all about?"

Ally didn't answer his question because she noticed the large guitar strap on his shoulder. "You bought a guitar, Rocky?!"

"Yeah," he smiled warmly at the object. "I liked playing when I was younger and I'd missed it. I heard Riker playing for a while a few days ago, and decided, what the hell. I had the money saved, and it seemed like a good idea." He stopped though and stared at her. "You didn't answer my question."

"It's for another time." She stared at her phone, looking at the time. "Come on, if we're any later, the others will worry."


	7. Changes

**Again, I can't put into words how much I appreciate the support. I really can't. I'm so in love with every review I get and if you could see me, it'd be pretty funny to look at. I get so excited when I see a review and such.**

**Anyway, some stuff about the chapter, the story, and yet another review I'd like to discuss.  
Okay, but really first. THE NEW AUSTIN AND ALLY PROMO. OH MY GOD. ILLUSION IS LIKE GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME. AUSTIN LOOKS HOT IN IT. AND ROSS'S VOICE. GOOD GOD, HE SOUNDS WONDERFUL. BUT OMG, NO, ALLY. My heart broke when Austin started singing Without You in the slow tone. The episode looks so good, but I hope it ends well. :( It made me so sad and happy at the same time.**

**Okay, onto actually story stuff.  
About the chapter. Trish is in this and you'll like how she's still the same Trish in the way that she dresses. It's not very much about her character in this chapter, but you meet her and find out about her past. And well, Marie in this chapter is also very important. It's just... you'll see. I think Rocky's part too is important and if you read between the lines of the last few words in his section, you'll realize something just happened between them as friends. You'll see. Austin comes back in the next chapter.**

**I HAVE A BANNER FOR THE STORY NOW. You can thank a person from one of the 1D boards who made it for me, and her name is on the banner. Here it is.**  
** arielff (dot here) tumblr (dot here) com It's on that page, a few posts down. Ignore my spazzing about my other story banner, lol.**

**And well, it's amazing. I love the Auslly hug! I wanted to put all the characters in the banner but it would be too cluttered, I think. Anyway, that's the banner. I'm so excited.**

**As for the review. And I've thought about this review for a long time. This is a response to Sera's review and I'm not going to state in full what it says, but I will say in short it says I use the F word too much in the story and that it's offensive to those who have actually had bad lives. Now, I have a potty mouth and I admit it but when I read that, I went back and looked through all the chapters and came to the conclusion that I've used the word twice. Once, in the first chapter in the prologue. And once when Jade is defending herself. In over 15,000 words and with a character list of people who are more likely to use bad language when angry.**  
**Now, I thought long and hard how I was going to respond to this when I saw I've used it twice when in reality, I probably say the word at least a dozen times a day. And it wasn't the fact that someone said they didn't like the word in the story. I get it, some of the readers might be younger, as disney's audience is usually in preteens or such. But, I stated before the story started it was a mature story and had dark themes. Which whatever. Fine. iT was the fact that Sera, you stated that it's offensive to those who have had bad lives. Now, I don't have anywhere as many issues as the kids in the story, and nor do I feel that I've had a bad life by any means, but I had a pretty messed up childhood and I've referred to it as f'd on many occasions. I can't say for anyone else, but I've never considered the term offensive when I've used it, and I have friends who had worse lives than I have and they use it as well.**  
**A part of me wanted to simply tell you, 'F OFF" and say it's one review. But I honestly can't see where I was wrong in this and I once more, will state. This is my story. I feel both times I used the word were fine, and if you don't like it, stop reading. I also asked for a few others opinions in what they thought and the few I asked told me if I was over using curse words, they'd let me know. I can't say for everyone, but as of right now, how I use the word stays. All I can say is if you don't like it, you can stop reading. I won't be offended and I don't need the review telling me so. I guess we're even now because your review offended me, as I've done nothing wrong in my eyes, and in others too.**  
**I apologize to my readers who had to sit through and read that, as I would have handled this through a PM but it was a guest review. I always welcome feedback and as one reader (Brz) can tell you, I'm not going to attack anyone over contructive critism. I will, still let you know that it is my story and I write what happens. There are plenty of other stories which are a lot less dark and a lot more fun. I can suggest a few, if you'd like. But this is my story and I will continue it how I want.**  
**Thanks.**

**Anyway, sorry for the long wait in this chapter when it shouldn't have been as long of one. The review got to me and got me from writing for a few days. I hope this chapter is good and I think you'll enjoy Trish's character as she continues in the story. Please let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

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Ally was surprised to see Rocky actually trying to be nice to everyone when they got back to the shelter. At that point, everyone was out of their rooms and having fun, so she could only assume that Marie had given up on her own sob story and was letting everyone live, or she had completely broken down somewhere and would never be the same.

Still, as Ally sat with Riker who was watching his friend play with interest, she couldn't help but feel a bit better about the entire day. Music was her life in so many ways still, and hearing someone play around her gave her entire body a moment to relax.

And Rocky was GOOD. Like, really damn good. The others were enjoying it too, even Jade who obviously had a problem with the moody teen. They were eating the smores Ally had prepared an hour ago, laughing and talking to each other. It was a completely different feeling from the day before. But when you deal with kids who have been through a lot, sometimes things are easier to bounce back from then she realized.

"So, I saw him in the road and he acted like he didn't know me."

Riker raised his eyebrows.

"Austin was there. I could tell from the second he looked at me, Riker. It was him. And he ran. Something is wrong. A part of me wants to search the city until I find him, drag him here and make sure he's okay. And then the other part of me knows better." Ally silently added, that you could only help someone who wanted to be. And if he was running, he didn't want help; or even to be found.

Suddenly, from across the room, something crashed to the floor. It was Rocky standing over Oliver now, looking furious at the younger boy. His fists were clenched and his dark eyes were almost glowing a deep red. He was ready to hit him when Ally yelled, "Stop!"

He glared at him then looked at Ally. "Forget I ever bothered with any of this," he snapped angrily, storming off down the hallway toward his room.

Oliver looked up sadly from where his was cowering on the floor. "All I asked if where he learned to play like that," he said in a soft voice. "He just snapped. Like, I've never seen."

Ally looked toward where the angry teen had stormed off to, wondering what that had to do with anything. With a sigh, she helped up the shaking Oliver and decided some things never changed. But against her better judgment, she walked toward his room and knocked on the door. Ally heard slamming and things crashing, and feared the worst. Biting down on her lip, she wondered if Marie could do more, but deep down, knew the woman was afraid of the boy and thought he was hopeless. Not Ally, but she too was afraid of what he could be capable of.

"Rocky, it's me," she said softly, as the crashing stopped. "I'm not here to fight and I'm not blaming you for anything. Can you please just open the door? _Please_?"

Nothing.

"I just want to make sure you're okay."

The door creaked open. "Since the hell when do I matter to any of you?"

Ally took a step back. "Since when _don't_ you?" she questioned back.

"I know the way Marie talks about me," he said in a dark tone. "I heard her today. I worry her. Not in the way her golden boy worries her," he spat darkly again. "I have nothing against Riker, I really don't but its shit that she picks favorites here. If you could, she'd ship me away in a second. Just like she did to Dez. Once we get too much to handle, I bet that's what happened. Don't you remember that kid from a few months ago?"

Ally sighed inwardly. There were a lot of kids that disappeared from here, some on their own, some by force. Marie didn't like when kids became too much to handle, and honestly, it was a miracle that he was still around. "I'm not going there, Rocky."

He laughed with a roll of his eyes. "It's obvious who she thinks is worth it and who isn't. If I had someone else I could go, I would because this shithole isn't worth it, Ally. You're nice. I get it. I like you, I do but it's not worth it. I'm shocked you're still here but you're too worried yourself about Riker going off the deepend that you'll stay until they throw you onto the street. Face it, it's true. You may all think I'm going to explode someday and kill someone, but I'm not as out of control as you think I am."

And he wasn't as in control as he thought he was, either Ally thought sadly. "Look, as long as I'm here, you're not alone in this. Say what you want about me, but I care about all of you."

"You think I need help," he snapped back. "I heard that part of the conversation too," he added when she looked a bit surprised.

"You do need help, Rocky," she said in the calmest tone she could muster. "But that doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't too. You're not insane, Rocky. Actually, I think you're damn talented, but you're angry with everything around you and anger has only caused the world pain."

Rocky laughed at her words but sighed too. "Ally, the world isn't just words and I'm glad you think that it is, but you have a hell of a lot to learn about the world if you think this is all fixable by music." He looked away for a moment, and Ally swore he was somewhere else for those few seconds. She wanted to say something, anything but it was clear the only thing he did trust was himself and that was part of the problem.

"It might not be," she said when he finally looked back at her, "but it definitely is fixable. You just have to let someone in."

They stared at each other for a long time before Rocky looked away and finally started to close the door again. "Not tonight," he said.

Ally felt so depressed after her conversation with Rocky, that she sat alone in her house just thinking of the shelter. She did this often lately, but now, she just felt like it was all falling apart. No one trusted the owner anymore and she didn't trust anyone. Including her boss.

Rocky was right in so many ways though; favorites were picked, especially by Marie and even by Ally. It was true that she spent most of her time with Riker and Rydel, but that was because they liked her company and Rocky often shut himself into his room. She couldn't be with him if he was trying to continue being him. Oliver and Jade often stuck together and kept to themselves, so it wasn't like she really could get close to them. And they didn't really need much help, either. And well, Ratliff. He was just a mess all the time and Ally wouldn't be surprised if she entered the place one day and he was up and gone. He wandered a lot already and was surprised he had stayed as long as he did.

As a recovering drug addict, he had learned to stay away from other people; especially those who could make him relapse. Apparently that was everyone in his mind.

Ally was still thinking about this the next day when she wandered inside after her morning of yoga and noticed how quiet it was again. It dawned on her then. The social worker was supposed to come in that day. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

Ally rushed down the hallway toward Riker's room and didn't make it there before she bumped into a small but down to business looking Latino girl, who jumped back in response. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized before the woman could say a word. "I'm often clumsy, just ask Riker! He always says I bump into things too much, but people are my new thing! I'm so sorry!"

The woman chuckled and put a smile on her face. Her curly long hair was pulled back into a clip and she was dressed in a pink shirt with matching sparkly pumps and a black tote to match. "I'm Trish Pereez; I'm here today to look over the shelter. You must be Ally. Rydel has told me so much about you."

Rydel liked to chat, but she couldn't help but wonder why her name would come up in conversation. It seemed like Marie would have been the one to say something, not her. "You know Rydel already?" she couldn't help but ask.

Trish smiled. "I've known Rydel for a long time."

She looked so young though, to be a social worker… and well very loudly dressed. "Oh."

"Is Marie around? I have yet to see her and I'm a bit concerned that you're the first person I've run into. When I was last here… there was much more help…" Trish trailed off, looking around her with disapproving eyes. Ally knew the look already; she thought lowly of the place and you couldn't blame the woman. They were very much screwed.

As Ally went to say she could show her to the office, Marie appeared, looking much more put together than yesterday. Plastering a fake encouraging smile on her face, she looked almost delighted to see the social worker, the one she had dreaded even talking about yesterday. "Trish! You look wonderful. How are you dear? It's been such a long time now!"

Trish turned around. "Marie!"

"You two know each other?"

Marie stiffened a bit, seeing that she had met Ally already. "Trish has history with my shelter, Ally. Perhaps after today is over, she can tell you sometime." Trish smiled a bit, going back into business mode. "The shelter looks very full with kids, Marie. But there are other issues I'd like to discuss with you, if you don't mind." She smiled apologetically at Ally. "Alone, if you wouldn't mind."

Ally took the hint and went to find the others who were all well hidden despite their usual craziness. She found Rydel and Riker in his room, watching TV. Rocky's door was still closed and the other three too were well and quiet. She sat down on the bed, looking down the hallway where Trish and Marie were talking in hushed tones, even though you could clearly see both were not happy. Trish was pointing down toward them, and Marie was throwing her hands up in the air.

"This isn't good," Rydel said.

"Can I ask you something, Rydel?"

Rydel's face brightened at the sound of Ally's voice, which had remained silent since entering minutes ago. "Of course."

"Trish said that she had history here. You've been here longest. What does she mean?"

"Trish?" Rydel gushed excitedly. "Used to live here a long time ago. She's in her twenties now, but when I had first started living here, she was getting ready to leave. She showed me a lot of what living here was like. She was so nice and knew so much about life and I wish I had gotten to know her better." Rydel stopped to admire the still upset looking girl and then sighed. "She got a full ride to be a social worker, said it was what her heart needed her to do. She wanted to help kids like us."

Ally stared back at the others again, wondering how different the shelter was back then. There was probably more help and there were actual people helping the kids in general. Obviously it was a wake up call to Marie to see one of her former kids coming back, but not in the way she wanted.

"I really liked her," Rydel continued. "You remind me a lot of her, actually. You were always so nice even when I didn't know you. You didn't mind that I talk a lot, and you liked being around me."

"I still do," Ally insisted. "You're great and have a wonderful taste in clothes."

Rydel giggled. Riker rolled his eyes, and got up.

"Sick of girl talk?" Ally teased. He nodded with a weak smile and motioned to Oliver's room. As he left, Ally looked back down the hallway and felt everything inside of her sink at what was happening.

"I can't let this continue this time, Marie," her voice was loud now and Marie was sobbing. She had her hands in her face and even though Trish looked like she wanted to cry herself, she continued her loud rant. Her voice softened and Ally leaned toward the door, trying to hear the next part. "I've let your shelter slide now for a few years but this is just ridiculous now, Marie. You have no help and some of these kids have never seen a single person about their problems. I can't keep putting my ass on the line for you anymore. It's putting my job at risk and I know you can do better than this." Trish was crying now and she put her arm on the older woman. "You gave me my life back, but I don't know if you have the ability to do that anymore."

"You can't just close down my shelter," Marie sobbed. "These kids have no other place. Maybe I'm not capable anymore, but these kids… Riker, Rydel… where would they go?"

"I didn't say I would shut the place down," Trish said softly, wiping away her tears. "But I can tell, Marie. You're bottles aren't water ones and that's not how we do things, especially not when kids lives' are at stake. These kids deserve to know how good the world can be and they don't have that right now. Ally is a great person. I talked to Rydel and Riker agreed, and I think she is capable of great things once she's older and got more experience. I can see it in her eyes, she's got what it takes but she isn't right now. She's a kid herself and needs some time to actually be one."

"What are you going to do?"

Marie was getting hysterical again, and Trish pulled her away from the rooms where everyone lived. "I've got someone coming later," Trish muttered. "They'll start looking into hiring some help for the place, but I think it's best if you resign and let someone take over. I know several people who would love the chance to help at the agency and wouldn't mind until you are able to get yourself together."

Marie just sobbed.

"I'll watch over the place until we get it situated, but I think it's best if you let me call somewhere and get you some help as well, Marie. I care about you and I want you to do what's best for you. If you let me do this, it'll be done quietly and down the line, maybe you could come back at some point. This way, you won't lose your license and you'll know the kids will be in good hands. I won't let anything happen to any of them. I know you trust me. Let me help you."

Marie stood up and with a shaky nod, decided to hand over the place to Trish. Ally was shocked as she watched Trish lead her down a hallway and it seemed a group had formed and saw what had just transpired. Rydel was crying, as Marie was all she had ever known herself, and Riker just looked shocked.

"What just happened," Jade whispered from where she stood.

"And what happens now," Rydel said too, looking sad.

Ally just stood shocked at what she had just seen, and wondered too what would happen next.


	8. Connected

**Omg, thank you so much once again. I don't care if I sound like I'm saying the same thing over and over again, because it's true. I love you guys and I appreciate all the reviews and such so much it's not even funny. Just thanks!**

**As for this chapter, it's the shortest one yet, but it's powerful so I think I'm going to leave it that short. It's powerful because of the end scene, and you also see something for Ally that might be awesome in the story.**

**I made a trailer for the story. You can see it here. arielff(dot here)tumblr(dot here)com(/)post/30644040520(/)wonderwall-trailer-made-my-me-so-not-the-best and just remove the ( ) and put dots where I said. It's not the best, but others have said it was good. :)**

That's all.

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally waited almost a half hour before she wandered in the direction of Marie's office. She heard the two inside, gathering Marie's things and wondered if she should even be there right then. But she laughed to herself and said, she worked here. She had a right to know what was going on.

"Marie? Trish?" Ally knocked on the open door, and both women looked up with tired expressions.

"Ally!" Marie said in shock, as if she forgot the girl was here. "I almost forgot about you, sweetheart. Come in for a second. We need to talk about the future here."

She froze in the doorway, wondering if Marie's departure would mean this is the end of her rode at the shelter. All eyes were on her, and in that instant, she realized just how much this job had come to mean for her. Tears welled in her eyes as they darted between the two women, and she stepped forward with gentle ease, ready to plead her case.

Riker appeared in her head; his smiling face and breathless laugh. The nights she'd find him outside, playing guitar to only the trees. Rydel, her love for the world despite her scars and laugh that too would make the entire world giggle along with her. Rocky, despite his hard core and anger, the way he really understood people. Ratliff, while she didn't know him that well, the way he just studied those around him, not ready to trust anyone. She wanted to be able to make him trust her. And then there were Jade and Oliver. The two who no one really knew, but also realized were put in this shelter because they were meant for each other. And then there was Austin, who she never even got to know because he ran from her. Ally bit down on her lip, hard as she thought about saying goodbye to them.

This job meant everything.

And now it was over.

"Ally?"

"I'll take my things and ago," she said softly, tears now becoming sobs. This was ridiculous. A few days ago and she was ready to run away herself.

"What?" Marie laughed. Ally looked at the woman and noticed for the first time since she met her, the woman looked relieved and almost happy. What a difference a few hours could make.

"I'm sorry. I just thought that I'd still work here. I understand why though. That's okay."

"Ally, wait."

Ally stopped backing up and looked at Trish. "Yes?"

Trish stepped forward, looking a bit confused by her actions. "We're not firing you, Ally. Actually, it's quite the opposite. I was talking to Rydel before all this happened, as you know. She told me you're studying for this field of work. I know you're still in school right now and classes aren't over for school, but you graduate soon, right?"

"Right," Ally said, not following.

"Well, when you do, I'd like to hire you for the shelter. A full time job, not just volunteer hours. You'd be paid decent money for someone just out of college and you'd be with the kids you've helped so much. Before you say anything else, and I'm leaving this up to you, I know what you've done to help Rydel and Riker. I see what you've done, and it's only in a short period of time. I know that you have what it takes to make a real difference in lives at this shelter, Ally. I know this and I want you to think about that before you give me an answer. I don't want one now, and I don't want one today. This is a big decision and I'd like for you to graduate first and then let me know. You're going to be open to a lot of opportunities as you do and while I'd love for you to be here, I don't want to you to feel like you need to say yes."

Ally wanted to start crying all over again. Was she serious? As she looked at the woman before her and saw no laughter, she knew she was. A full time job doing what she wanted to do with her life. That was crazy. A part of her wanted to say yes right then, and then the other part knew what she was saying was right. She had time and needed to take it.

But before she could say another word, there was a knock on the door.

And who Ally saw standing there, made her almost fall to the ground.

"Austin!" she cried, nearly tackling him. Hugging him felt so good, mostly because she knew he was okay and that he came back to her. Call her crazy, but the boy had barely left her mind since she saw him yesterday.

"Um, hi." He looked at the other two and then smiled. "I'm Austin. I need to talk to Ally. Is that okay?"

Marie looked at Trish who smiled. "Of course. Take your time."

Ally went to say she'd be right back but Austin dragged her down the hallway to the entrance. He then pulled her into the backyard where he sat down in the grass, Ally almost tumbling onto him. After a moment of embarrassment set in, she looked at the boy. He was still in the bloody clothes and he looked as if he hadn't slept in days. Despite this, he was smiling at her.

"First and most important, I'm really sorry for leaving that morning. I need you to know I appreciate all you did for me and I don't expect you to be happy or to want me here right now."

Ally went to say something, but he stopped her.

"Not yet. I'm not done. I know I don't deserve your time, especially after causing a ton of problems and especially after yesterday but I have my reasons. And I really, really need a place to stay right now and I would never ask but I really have no where else to go. When I saw your face that night, I realized once morning came, I couldn't stay. I felt like a burden and I've had that feeling before. I ran because I was scared and because I shouldn't have shown up here that night, not really. But in all honesty, I should have too. I need help and I don't have anyone else to go to anymore."

Ally tried again to say something, but he continued,

"I won't run away this time. I promise."

She giggled and shook her head. "Austin, the thing with the shelter you don't seem to realize is that you don't need an explanation. You could have come back any time and we would have taken you in. We're a family here and we don't care what your past was, as long as you're not like, a murderer or something."

He smiled a little but didn't look convinced.

"And we've been over that I'm not one, but just to make sure, before I let you stay… you're not one, right?"

He laughed this time and she could swear he looked years younger just with that. "No, I'm not."

"Austin, then you're fine." Ally stood up, tired of being on the ground. "Then welcome to Marie's Shelter."

"That's it?" he asked, still a bit surprised.

Ally smiled and opened her arms to him. "That's it."

He took it in and Ally noticed despite how dirty he was, the boy still smelled better than most she'd seen lately. And he seemed calm, something she hadn't noticed of him since he walked into the shelter before. "Thanks, Ally."

"No thank you is needed, Austin. Come on, let's go inside. I'll show you where you can stay. I'm assuming you've only got what you're wearing right now?"

He looked sheepishly down at his bloody clothes and nodded. "Yeah, sorry."

"It's okay. I think you're about Riker's size. We'll find you something to wear."

He stopped her before they went inside and looked her into the eyes and Ally never felt that kind of connection before. He stared at her hard and she felt like her knees were going to give out. It was like he knew that she was going to help him but at the same time, trust was an issue. This had been something she had seen before, but not like this. Not this intense. He looked so scared and vulnerable that she didn't want to let of his hand, instead pull him into another hug, but scaring the boy wasn't her intentions.

Instead, she just smiled at him and hoped that was enough of an answer.


	9. Musicians

**Whoa, sorry for the wait in this! I had started the chapter days ago, didn't like what I had and left it. Started writing before and loved what it was so here it is. :) Thanks for the EIGHT reviews on this chapter. SERIOUSLY?! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT. I really freakin' love you.**

**Not much to say here.**

**Say You'll Stay, an R5 song is in this chapter. It belongs to them. At least, until Rocky sings it at our wedding, but until then, it's theirs.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

After showing Austin around the shelter, they walked toward Riker's room. Ally had decided that it'd probably be best if he stayed in there tonight. Of anyone, Riker was the most friendly and he definitely needed someone who wasn't going to start anything the moment he walked in.

She looked through his clothes as he looked around the room. After finding a few, she placed them in his hands and told him she was going to tell the others he was here. "Come find me when you're done," Ally said with a warm smile, stopping to pat him on the shoulder. He had remained quiet since entering but was definitely looking at everything around him.

She slipped from the room and started to walk down the hallway when Rocky stopped her. "Whose the blond?"

"Austin," she said in a careful voice. Not liking his tone, she waited for him to continue. A silence followed. "Why?"

He shrugged.

"He's staying with Riker tonight. I want you to be nice," she said, her eyes serious.

Rocky narrowed his and then rolled them at her. "I won't look at him, if it makes you feel any better. Oh, if you're looking for Marie, she left the shelter about ten minutes ago. Whose the woman that's in her office?"

"Trish," Ally said. "I'm sure she'll meet you guys later. She's going to be staying with us for a while."

"I knew it," Rocky mumbled, rolling his eyes. "About time Marie packed her shit."

Ally rolled her eyes too, not bothering to deal with Rocky's moods that day. She walked down the hallway until she got to Trish's office and knocked. The small Latina was sitting at Marie's desk, looking over paperwork it seemed. From the looks of it, it was overwhelming and a mess.

"Hey."

Trish's eyes shot up at the sound of a voice. "Oh, hey Ally. How are you doing?"

"I'm good. I just wanted to let you know that Austin Moon is going to be staying with us for a while. He was here the other night and came back today. I don't know his back story, but I figured I'd tell you so we can get him set up over the next few days."

The woman closed whatever she was looking at and stood. "I don't know how you guys ran things here, but that sounds fine. Is there paperwork filed?" she asked, laughing nervously while looking over the small area. "Because if there is, I'm having no luck finding anything regarding anyone."

Ally shrugged. "I have a notebook where I write some things down about each of the teens. Just for my own records. I don't know what Marie really did. I used to just follow whatever she told me and let her do the rest."

Trish seemed to be holding her tongue as the younger girl said this and then sighed. "Okay. It seems like we have a ton of work to do then. Tell me a bit about Austin. I'll start making some files so that when I do go back to my job, they'll believe we're making improvements."

As the two sat together and started some real paperwork, Ally grew more and more shocked at how Marie held the place together for so long. How was it possible to have such a faltered place yet still be open? After putting away some more papers, Ally realized that Austin never came and found her. She excused herself and wandered back toward Riker's room.

But what she found though was even more surprising. Rocky and Austin were playing guitar in his room, jamming along to the song Austin knew. She raised her eyebrows, not wanting to let the boys know she was watching, but continued to watch the moment. Rocky seemed happy and Austin looked warmer. As the song concluded and the boys shared a smile, Ally clapped.

"That was really good, Austin. I didn't know you could play."

He seemed a little shy at this and shrugged lightly. "Well, yeah. I do play a bit."

"A bit?" Rocky laughed. "Dude, you just pretty much out played everyone here. Except for Riker, but he doesn't let anyone hear him play. You have to be like a… well, you have to be Ally, pretty much."

She blushed at this. "That's not true."

"He likes her," Rocky told the blond boy.

"Stop it, Rocky," she scolded as the boys giggled. "He doesn't like me. Besides, I work here and that's very inappropriate to even say."

Rocky laughed again and stood up. "I'm going to play some video games. Austin, you're welcome to come play, too, if you want."

The boys hurried off and Ally felt like laughing as loud as she could. Who would've thought that they'd get along out of everyone? As she pondered this and wandered back toward the room she had originally left Austin in, Riker's face appeared. What Rocky had said… did he really have a crush on her? It seemed ridiculous. He was just her best friend. He depended on her in many ways, of course but to say he liked her was just crazy.

There was an age difference too! Besides, Ally didn't want to mix work with her love life and it would wrong to even date one of the people here.

A hand landed on her shoulder and Ally jumped about ten feet into the air. "Riker!" she laughed as he looked at her, giggling to himself. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

He smiled a bit and then motioned toward the living area, as if to say 'when did he come back'? As she watched the other two play, she shrugged. "A few hours ago. He's going to be rooming with you, if that's okay. I figured you're the least likely to try and attack him. But then again, Rocky's getting along pretty well with him. I don't want to take any chances though. We don't want to scare him off."

Riker grinned. "No," he mouthed.

He motioned toward his guitar and closed the door. "I learned a new song," he mouthed again, smirking to himself.

"Play it," she urged. Riker was really good, like Rocky had said.

As he started to play a song that was definitely upbeat, he handed her some lyrics, looking to her with hopeful eyes. Okay, maybe Ally sang with him once in a while. It was a secret though because Ally hadn't sung in years in public, and not even alone in months. But Riker was able to make her do things she would never do otherwise, and Ally sighed, taking the paper. Words were written in small letters, but were definitely lyrics.

"Sing it?" she asked.

He nodded eagerly.

_It's summertime,_

_And you are all that's on my mind, _

_Everyday. _

_It seems like we_

_ Could stay up and talk through the night. _

_Oh what do you say?_

_Say you'll stay (Hey-ey) _

_Heyy (Sta-ay) _

_I just keep on wishing everyday (Hey-ey) _

_Hey (Sta-ay) _

_No more running around, running around _

_(No more running around, no no no, no more running around, no no no) _

_Running around, _

_When I'm around, _

_Just say you'll stay._

He stopped playing when I ran out of lyrics.

"Is it not finished yet?" I asked.

He nodded and pulled a piece of paper from next to him and wrote, _I'm still working on the next verse. It's a bit more personal. I don't know where to go with it. But I'm working on it. I hope it ends up how I picture it when I'm writing, you know?_

I smiled warmly at him. "It's really good, Riker."

"And he's not the only one who is really good," another voice said. Ally jumped again, not expecting to hear someone else in the room. Austin stood at the door, leaning against it with a smile of his own. When did he get there? He listened to her sing! This was not okay, no one was supposed to know she sang at all. Her dreams had been given up so long ago, and Riker was only allowed to know. Austin just stared at her as she opened her mouth to only close it again, but then opened it once more to put some hair in. Old habit of nervousness that she thought was dropped a long time ago, but apparently Austin brought back with just one look. What did that mean?

Ally dropped the hair from her mouth, deciding it was gross and they probably thought she was nuts.

But he was smiling and what could she say? It was too late.

"Thanks," she said shyly, smiling at him.

"You're welcome," he answered, giving her a look that made her heart jump. "I mean, really. I used to be in a band and I'd kill to have you as our lead singer. Your voice is really good."

Ally just stared back at him, not remembering how to talk. It was so nice to hear that she was still talented despite her music dreams being crushed a long time ago. Finally, after staring at the blond boy for another few seconds, she just shrugged and looked back at the lyrics in her hands. Riker was so good, too. It's crazy to think how many talented musicians lived in one shelter.

Austin nodded a few seconds later and stared at the room before him.

Riker stared at him with strange eyes as Austin entered the room. "I didn't mean to interrupt, or anything. I just remembered you said I was staying in here and thought I'd look around some more. I hope that's okay."

Ally nodded. "That's fine. We were just finished anyway, right Riker?"

Riker was still staring though, right at Austin. And he didn't look pleased.

"Riker?"

He snapped up and put a fake smile on his face, Ally noted. She remembered them from when she first met him and he acted like he was fine. This worried her instantly. But she didn't press it. Instead, she gave Austin a fake smile of her own and pretended the entire conversation wasn't strange at all.

Dinner was even more awkward. Other than the fact that Jade and Oliver were still angry with Rocky, Riker had managed to stare even more at Austin, his eyes getting darker every time Austin looked Ally's way. Ally thought maybe he was wondering what his past was, because she was too. But she didn't want to push it. But the cut healing on his forehead said something about what had happened, and it would be good to figure out before he never mentioned it again.

"So, I hope you all don't mind me taking over for a few days. I'm a friend of Marie's and I care about this shelter very much. I'm pretty laid back in a lot of ways, and don't ever think I'm not around to listen."

Ally had stopped listening to Trish's speech a long time ago, and was staring at the shelter kids instead. Watching them was like watching a movie full of different plots, and she couldn't help but be drawn to the quiet Austin.

He smiled at her as he finished his pizza and looked away. He had such a quiet vibe, an almost bad boy type but at the same time, his looks made him look like he belonged in a magazine as a model. His eyes were gentle but held a lot of pain, something she was able to spot from the second he looked her way. But he still seemed pieced together despite all of this and Ally was intrigued.

Poor guy.

"Ally, why don't you go home for the night," Trish said, after dinner was over and they were cleaning up. "I'm able to handle it for the night. I'd like to get to know the rest of the kids, too so I know who I'm working with."

"If you don't mind, I'd rather stay the night actually," Ally said, putting some leftover pizza in the small fridge.

As she walked back over toward the table, Trish looked at her. "You're worried about the new boy, right?"

"Just a little," she whispered. "He just looks so… I can't place it. I feel drawn to him in a way I haven't felt in a long time." She felt a sudden pull to tell Trish all about how drained she was feeling over the shelter, but decided against it because the woman was offering her a job here. Besides, with Austin now, it seemed to go away.

"He does seem a bit reserved," Trish agreed. "But aren't they all?"

"Not Rydel," she giggled.

Trish smiled. "She never was."

"I don't know if it's bad to feel attached to everyone here," she continued after a moment. "I mean, my biggest fear here is that someone comes in here and I'm not able to help. I feel so drawn to everyone I've met here."

"It's a hard job," Trish agreed. "But trust me, even if you can't help everyone, it's the ones you do help which make it all worth it. Sure, there are times when you feel low and ready to just give up, but even with all the sadness and messed up parts of the job, the people who end up being the ones who you saved, are the ones who make this worth everything. I see you and Riker and I see that. I see it in a few eyes here. They adore you."

"Not everyone," she chuckled. "I'm pretty sure Rocky wouldn't mind if I got up and left."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," she answered in a soft voice.

Ally stared at the woman. "Why do you say that?"

"He talks to you," she answered simply. "And that says something about him. He hasn't said a single word to me since I walked in today. He's been able to several times. He trusts you, even if he doesn't realize he does."

"Maybe," Ally answered. "But not enough."

Trish just smiled. "Time does the world wonders, though."

Ally nodded at this and put away the last of the dinner. "I hope you don't mind if I stay tonight. I'd just feel better about everything if I do."

"Not at all, Ally," she said back. "I just don't want you to feel obligated to stay when you don't have to."

Ally looked down the hallway to where everyone was watching a movie and smiled. No, it wasn't an obligation. It was a family.


	10. Carefree

**I am so unbelievably in shock over the reviews I got for this chapter, I don't think I can even say... WOW! Seriously. 15 reviews. I want to cry. That is just so damn amazing to me, I can't even put it into words. I know that may not seem like a lot to some others, but for me, on only my second story on this section, that is just... wow. I can't thank you all enough. I know it's been a bit of a wait for this and I'm sorry for that. I was having problems putting the chapter into words, and I wanted it perfect.**

**A major thank you to everyone who reviewed.**

**Another thank you to those who listen to my ideas about this, and who give me ideas.**

**I really love the last scene in this chapter, just because you see Ally in a way that you usually don't. And well, for anyone who likes the idea of Austin and Ally together in this, you'll enjoy it. :)**

**But don't worry, there is still plenty to come with more romance moments.**

**Anyway, I think I'll leave off there.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

A few hours later, everyone had scurried off into their respective rooms. It quieted down within minutes and Ally took solace in the shelter at night. There was no one fighting and unless you really looked, everyone seemed perfect. She walked slowly down the hallway, checking on everyone one more time before she headed off to bed herself, as the first day of classes started tomorrow, not only for her, but for the school aged kids that lived in the shelter too.

After making sure all were there, she made her way to the last stop on her list. Riker and Austin's room.

"Hey," she said, knocking on the door with a smile. Riker was working on the song from earlier, curled up on his bed with a blanket and a set smile. Austin was sitting back on his own, staring at the ceiling. "How are you guys doing?"

Riker smiled softly, but then his eyes darted to the younger boy. Another strange look crossed his face, one Ally didn't understand. "Austin?"

He looked over to her finally, his brown eyes resting upon hers. "Oh. Hey."

"You okay?" she asked in gentle voice.

He looked worn down, more than he had in the last few hours. It seemed the night dragged any energy from him and what was left over… well, was the sad looking boy on the bed. He didn't answer her, but stood up and walked her way. Taking the hint, they walked out of the room into privacy, toward the front doors. It was eerie like the first night she met him.

"Are you okay?" she repeated her question.

Austin shrugged. "Have you ever missed someone so much, you'd do anything to see them just one more time?"

While Ally really didn't have something to compare that too, she nodded in understanding. He looked at her with such hard eyes, like he was trying to read what was going on in her head. A sigh escaped those pink lips, and he placed his hands behind his head. "Go on."

"It's just… there is someone I'm never going to see again… and it hurts more than anything." He bit down on his lip, looking at the ceiling, as if the answers to whatever he felt would be there. Ally felt her heart snapping over the mood he gave off. There was some serious hurting going on. What had happened to this boy?

"Austin, if you live here, it doesn't mean you can't see someone again. This isn't a prison. You're more than welcome to leave for a few hours each day to visit someone. They can come here too." She thought for a moment, thinking about how no one ever really came here. Maybe because their friends thought it was weird, or because the group didn't have any real friends outside of the shelter.

"It's not like that," he muttered to himself, closing his eyes. "It's not like that at all."

"Okay," she said carefully. "I'm not going to push you. Just know that I'm here and if you want to talk, I'm always ready to listen. And if you give me enough notice, I'll even bring some cookies."

A small, but pity smile parted his perfectly pink lips. Perfectly pink lips? Ally, get over yourself, she thought quickly.

"Thanks," he laughed. "But I prefer pancakes."

The thought seemed to drain more from him and Ally wanted nothing more than to question it. But she didn't because if he was ready to talk about it, he would have.

"I like pancakes. That can be arranged."

They walked back toward Riker's room and Austin's mood seemed slightly better. Not much, but enough that Ally could go to sleep and not worry all night about the new boy. She placed a warm hand on his shoulder and pulled him in quickly for a hug. "If you want, tomorrow we can go into the mall and get you some clothes."

"And everyone else?"

"No, not if you don't want them there." She once more smiled at him. "It'd be just the two of us."

"It's a date," he said calmly before he slipped into their room, leaving Ally staring at the door.

It would make sense for Ally to oversleep the day classes started. Her alarm never went off, so when Riker started shaking the girl about a half hour before classes started, she flew up in alarm, nearly toppling over him to get back to her own house. Thanking him and wishing the others luck, who all looked less than pleased to be heading back, she darted from the door, saying she'd be back later.

It was just a bad day. Nothing seemed to go in her way. No clean clothes. Her car was low on gas, so she had to stop for that. And then the worst classes of her existence picked back up. They were pretty much the last of her degree, pretty boring classes that just sucked every bit of feeling out of you. And of course, she was late so then everyone stared.

Ally was just feeling very annoyed as she left later that day, ready to get the hell out of there and back to her friends, especially Austin. She remembered what she had promised him, and hoped he still wanted to go to the mall.

To her surprise, she noticed he was still at the shelter when she arrived. "Shouldn't you be in…?"

"I didn't go," he said in a calm tone. He was sitting in the living area, staring at the TV. Riker was playing a video game in the other room, but it didn't seem like to two were talking at all. "It doesn't seem worth it."

"Austin…"

"Can we not talk about it?" he snapped lowly, his eyes getting darker. His tone shocked her and she simply nodded, dropping the subject immediately. Trish could deal with this. It wasn't her job to make sure he went.

Ally sat down on the couch next to him, studying the boy. Once again, he seemed closed off, guarded and just plain cold. Not necessarily because of her, but something was definitely wrong. Sitting there, she just thought about all that had happened since he arrived, wondering if there was something that she could do that would make it better for him.

"You're adorable when you have that look on your face," he said with a soft laugh.

Defensively, she looked back at him. When did he start staring at her? And what look? Ally didn't have a look on her face!

His eyes were smiling suddenly, something that was a bit strange to her. He didn't seem like the moody Rocky, but he definitely was confusing her. "You're thinking and I can tell. You just look so… concentrated. It's funny."

"I'm glad my face is funny to you," she said with a laugh of her own, dropping his tense image from her mind. "Did you still want to go to the mall later? I'm still up for it if you are."

Austin was quiet for a moment and then nodded. "Sure."

Ally spent the remainder of the day with Austin, and was really pleased to see his bad mood had disappeared hours ago, and he had replaced it with a smile and a sense of humor. It really wasn't something she should have enjoyed, since the mood he had on display before was a bit concerning, but they had begun to have fun and she wasn't about to take that from him.

They left for the mall a few minutes after everyone returned. She told the others they'd be back in time for dinner, and took off in her car. Austin remained quiet on the way there, his eyes watching all around him. Ally stopped at a light and began to put on the radio, singing along with the newest hit. Austin joined in moments later, and it soon began to be a jam session.

As they pulled into the mall, the two were laughing so hard, Ally's sides hurt.

"That was fun," she said in a serious tone. "I haven't sung like that in a long time."

"Me either," he agreed, getting out of the car. "So, where first?"

Ally studied the large mall and shrugged her shoulders, firmly holding the money Trish had given the girl before. "We have time. Wherever you want to go is fine with me."

And off they went. Austin ended up in a few select stores, enjoying himself. He laughed as he tried on ridiculous outfits, with over the top hats and shoes that looked like the good will might even return. Ally was laughing too, videoing the entire thing on her phone. She figured it would be fun to watch back later, when she was having a bad day, or he was. But suddenly, he pulled her into the dressing room, tossing even worse looking outfits her way. He grabbed the camera, shooing her into the small area. "Your turn," he laughed.

Ally was mortified with some of his choices in outfits for her. There was short dresses and leather shirts, something that looked like it belonged on a professional dancer, and this … thing that was definitely meant for someone… else. "Austin!" she cried loudly, laughing at herself in the mirror. "This looks terrible!"

"Let me see," he answered, laughing at her tone.

She exited the room, walking into the mirror area with a horrified expression. "I look like a …"

"You look hot," he said simply.

Ally felt her cheeks redden again and stared at herself in the mirror. She was in a short red dress, sculpted to her every curve that just covered everything it should. It had straps that were snug on her shoulders, showing off her upper body. But it was too revealing for her taste, and she felt really awkward standing in it. But Austin didn't care; he was grinning like crazy, and threw a pair of heels that even the biggest celebrities would have cringed at. "Austin, no!" she laughed.

"Try it on," he encouraged, his eyes lighting up at her horror. "Its just for fun. It's not like you're going to leave here in it."

Ally glared at him but did as she was told and nearly toppled onto the poor boy in the shoes. "I'm going to die in these," she gasped, trying to walk toward the mirrors. He was still videoing the entire thing, his giggles sending chills down her spine. He sounded so damn happy, how could she tell him to stop?

"You have to buy it, Ally," he laughed. "Just imagine what the others would say. They would love it."

"I'd lose my job if I wore this into the shelter," she told him seriously but the edges of her lips were curling up. "I mean, come on, Austin. It's more of a party dress than anything else."

He just shook his head and told her to get changed. She did, happy to get back into a pair of jeans and a t shirt and met him at the registers, as he tossed some clothes at the person working there. When she wasn't looking, Austin had tossed the dress… and the shoes, into the bag, after paying for it. He grinned wildly at her, knowing she had no idea what he had just done. He thanked the person and met her in the mall waiting area.

"That was fun," he said, holding his bags. "And I got some nice stuff. Thanks."

Ally smiled warmly back at him, really happy that today was as nice as it was. "You're welcome. I had fun too. But … never show those videos to anyone. I'm pretty sure the others would say I was crazy."

"I like crazy people." He was laughing now, remembering her in some of the outfits. "Besides, it's nice to see you let loose a little, Ally. Every time I see you in the shelter, you're looking out for someone else. You can tell you're tense. I think you smiled and laughed more in the last hour than you did the entire time I've known you. I like that Ally better."

Ally sighed, agreeing with him but honestly, how was she supposed to smile and be okay, when others around her weren't? "Thanks."

"If it means we have to leave that shelter once a week and do stuff like this, I'm game," he said seriously, suddenly acting like he was the one who was the volunteer. "It's nice to see you smile. I mean that. And a real one. You do so much for everyone, Ally. It's obvious. You deserve you time."

Just as Ally went to really thank the boy, for looking out for her, his expression darkened quickly and his eyes narrowed in shock. He grabbed her arm and started to pull her away from the area, mumbling words that she couldn't understand. "Austin?" she asked in alarm. "What's the matter? Austin! Talk to me! Austin?"

He pulled her all the way to the car, ignoring her pleas and concerns. "Just drive," he ordered darkly, his usually smiling eyes back to the fearful and unhappy ones she met that very first night.


	11. Anger

**I love you guys! Thanks for being awesome and reviewing and giving me ideas and just being amazing to me. I'm so happy with this story.**

**If you guys like this story, feel free to check out another one I just put up, called Defined. It's about Dez, and I think you'll like it.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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Ally stopped attempting to get Austin to talk as she drove, and instead was trying not to cry. There was such helplessness in seeing someone in so much pain and not being able to do anything to comfort them. He was staring hard off into the road, his eyes such a dark color and she wondered what had he just seen. As they neared the shelter, his expression seemed to slightly relax, but the boy still slammed the car door shut quickly when the stopped, ran inside, and locked himself in Riker's room.

She stood there, staring at the old door for nearly ten minutes when Riker popped up. Her own expressionless eyes blinked at him, wondering how to explain the last few minutes. "I don't know what to do," she finally said out loud, to no one in particular. Common sense told her to leave him alone for a while, and let him find her.

But ever since Dez locked himself in a room, that put her emotions on high. What if something was seriously wrong? She couldn't allow anything else bad to happen to anyone here.

"Ally, what's going on?" Trish appeared, walking forward in heels. "Is everything okay?"

"Austin and I were shopping, he got really weird and we drove home. Now he's locked himself in the room, and I don't know why."

Trish nodded at the explanation, casually looking toward the door. The woman seemed to think for a moment, and then sighed. "Well, I'm not sure disturbing him is best. He doesn't seem like the type to talk if he doesn't want to, so I say we leave him be."

Yes, Ally figured as much and agreed to it, but still as she sat in the living room, watching TV with Riker, her mind was on Austin. Riker seemed to notice this and kept his own eye on the girl, but of course, couldn't say a word. She didn't notice that he was annoyed with Austin himself, for allowing the girl to be so worked up over him. Ever since he entered the place, he seemed to only think of himself. For some reason, that just annoyed the older boy.

"Dinner is ready," Rydel chirped from the small kitchen, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Apparently, she had taken up cooking in the last few days, and Trish let her cook dinner tonight. "I hope you guys like it. I worked really hard on it."

Anything Rydel did was done with love and happiness, so Ally knew she could expect a wonderful dinner. The smell was starting to waver through house, and it seemed familiar, though her tired self couldn't place it. After watching Riker turn off the TV, the two stumbled into the kitchen to a tossed salad and tacos.

"You're my favorite," Oliver said, rushing into the kitchen with the biggest smile on his face. Jade rolled her eyes but laughed, joining him. Slowly, but quietly, Rocky joined the rest of them and together they ate the delicious meal she had made.

But of course, Austin was missing. Rocky had tried knocking on the door, but even he, who Austin seemed to like best besides Ally, couldn't get him to come eat dinner with everyone. Ally sighed at this, pretending she wasn't completely upset. The food was unbelievably good, but how could she really enjoy something when he was still angry?

Ally never remembered feeling this kind of pull when Riker or Rydel would shut her out. Why was Austin such a powerful force to her? It seemed almost wrong to be completely annoyed with him for this, but it was true.

"Ally, how did you like it?" Rydel was waiting for compliments, ones she very much deserved.

With a weak smile, she nodded her head. "It's very good, Rydel. We might have to promote you to cook."

"I just said that!" Jade giggled, as the two girls laughed together.

Ally went back to staring at the door down the hallway.

Riker placed a hand on hers. "Stop worrying," he mouthed. "There is nothing you can do. You know that."

But it didn't stop her from worrying.

After dinner, Rydel and the rest of the group, even Rocky, went downtown to an arcade, courtesy of Trish's generous wallet. Ally was once more helping her clean up the mess from dinner, but this time, silently. She knew Trish noticed this and was staring holes into her back, concerned for the girl herself, but didn't say a word.

Finally, Ally spoke up, deciding if anyone understood how the kids' minds worked, it would be Trish. "I don't understand."

"What?" Trish asked, stopping what she was doing. "About Austin?"

"Yes," she answered numbly, putting some of the leftovers on a plate for Austin. She figured she could at least knock on the door and leave it there, hoping once she left, he'd open the door and eat. "I've never been so concerned before about someone here. It's really, really weird to me. Like, Riker is probably who I'm closest to. But I was never concerned about him like this. Maybe it was because I knew he'd open up eventually to me. I don't know if Austin ever will."

She watched as Trish cleaned the table and then looked at the younger woman. "I can't say I know what to tell you, Ally. Sometimes life is funny, in a kind of cruel way. Austin seems like the quiet type. At least, when it comes to his feelings. You may just have to wait and see what happens. Not everyone can be saved, Ally. That's something you learn in this part of life."

"I don't believe that," she said firmly, though looking down at the hallway once more, she wondered if she would be proved wrong because of Austin Moon.

Ally decided to stay over once again, just because she hoped in some way, Austin would leave the room and look for her. When she said goodnight to the others, Riker came into her room to sleep on the other bed (as he couldn't get into his own room), his guitar on his lap.

"Play something," she said with a gentle smile. "I could use a riff or two tonight."

He started playing what sounded sweet and light, the guitar sounds humming in her ears. Closing her eyes, she pictured the group happy and laughing, everyone together but all okay. Then she pictured her own life, back at her actual house, when her parents were actually home. He continued to play as she started to drift off, his guitar getting softer and softer, until it was just one strum, over and over until he was sure the overtired girl was asleep.

The next morning, all seemed quiet and content in the shelter. As the others went off for the day, Ally found herself alone with Riker, as she didn't have any classes that day. A part of her wanted to head home and just spend the day in bed but she knew that was not productive and there was always something to do with your time.

"We should work on your song today," she said, while making her bed, to Riker.

Riker, who was watching her with those beautiful eyes of his, nodded eagerly. It was the first time she'd seen a real smile since yesterday afternoon with Austin and she welcomed it with a wide smile of her own. With a laugh, the pair walked from the room and into the kitchen, making a late breakfast.

Trish, who had taken advantage of the empty shelter to get some of her other work done, had left breakfast for the group before leaving about an hour before. She had taken quite a liking to the woman who once lived here. She managed to be a friend to Ally while being an adult to those who needed it, and did so while maintaining her composure. It made her a little disappointed to know the woman wasn't here to stay.

"I think we could probably go outside and play," Ally said absently as she munched on an apple, thinking thoughtfully of the day in front of her. Truthfully, she had pushed the thoughts of Austin out of her head the moment she woke up and had enjoyed her morning so far. Riker was great company despite his quiet self and it was often peaceful with him around. Unlike the others, who were either fighting or talked a lot (sorry Rydel) he knew how she liked to spend her time and often enjoyed her presence.

Just as Riker went to write something down as a reply, a sound came from behind them.

Ally flipped around to see Austin Moon, in his new clothes standing before them. He looked uneasy, as if he walked into a private party. Shocked that he actually left his room, she couldn't find words to say.

He spoke for her. "Hey. I was wondering if I could get something to eat."

Nodding her head, still not able to talk, he walked past and grabbed an apple of his own. He smiled softly at her and then walked back out, and to her surprise, left the door open. Riker shot her a curious glance at this and Ally peeked down the hallway.

"I'll be right back," she said quickly.

She didn't see it, but Riker gave her a look when she left.

Ally entered with caution, seeing as she didn't really know how he was going to react to her. He was sitting on bed, playing Rocky's guitar softly. His apple, still untouched was sitting on the desk. Didn't he say he wanted something to eat? Ally knocked and then entered, but he didn't look up.

"I was wondering if I could come in for a minute."

A soft shrug of his shoulders left Ally wanting to sigh.

"I'm glad you left the door open this morning."

He sighed this time.

Ally frowned, wondering how to go about this. "Look, I'm not here to fight with you. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," he said in a short voice. It wasn't cold, but it definitely wasn't friendly.

"Okay." Thinking it was her cue to leave, she backed away only to have him actually look her way with those stupid depressed eyes of his.

"Wait."

Ally did as she was told.

"Are you busy today?"

Her mind went to Riker and then shook her head. He'd understand to why she needed to be with Austin today. Maybe he'd tell her why he was upset. "No, not really."

"Would you like to maybe spend the day with me, then?" he asked, his voice soft.

Ally smiled. "Sure."

He motioned for her to join him on the bed, and for a few minutes, all she did was listen to him play guitar. He was really good, to the point where she wondered how he got that good. Not wanting to disturb his playing, she sat there just enjoying until there was a knock on the door.

Riker stood there, an expression on his face she couldn't read.

"Oh! Riker. I almost forgot to tell you. Austin and I are going to hang out for a while. We can totally work on your song later though. Okay?" He just stared back at her with these eyes she knew she'd seen somewhere before, but still couldn't read or place. "Okay, Riker?"

He smiled softly and turned around, settling things for Ally.

Turning her attention back to Austin, she noticed he was watching her. "What?"

"Nothing," he said with a smile. "I just admire how you are."

It amazed her that he could go from being so angry and hurt to being the smiling, almost happy Austin that she now saw. Did he really think she forgot about yesterday and was just going to pretend it never happened? Angered with the though, Ally let a few words slip through her lips before she could think.

"I think we should talk about yesterday."

He nearly dropped the guitar, his eyes widening in alarm. "No."

"Why not?" she challenged. "Austin, you're safe here. Whatever happened yesterday, or whoever you saw can't get you  
here. I really like you and I think you're a great guitar player, but if you can't trust me, we're not going to have the best of times here. I'm not saying you have to open up and tell me your life story, but to pull me out of the mall and drag me home with no explanation at all is really, really not fair."

"Life's not fair," he snapped angrily.

Ally agreed. "Yeah, I get that. I know that. But sometimes if you find people who you can trust, it gets a little nicer."

"Stop," he warned.

Ally didn't though. She knew she had to break his wall in order to ever get somewhere with him. She was borderline pushing her limits, but she didn't care. His wall was getting higher with each day and if she didn't stop it now, it would be as high as the ceiling soon. "Just talk to me. I'll listen. I won't say a word. I promise."

"Ally, stop," he growled.

She stood with anger in her own eyes. "Fine then. I'm leaving."

He stood up, running in front of her as if it was going to stop the determined girl. "No, you're not."

"If we're not talking about this, then yes I am. I'm not going to bother being here, sitting in silence just because you feel that's what I'm good for. I'm not here for that, Austin. I'd like to be your friend, but I can't take you shutting me out. I don't do well with that. You said that I'm good at helping people; you say I'm amazing at what I do. LET ME HELP YOU. That's all I want to do. And if you don't want that, then I'm leaving right now."

Yeah, she'd completely ruined any chances of him ever listening to her, but he was driving her insane. Those constant sad looks he'd give, the constant stares and prompts to get her over there. "Spend the day with me" and then sit there doing nothing for what seemed like forever. No. She wasn't doing it. She couldn't do it anymore. Old Ally would have sat there for hours and just let him be, but not this Ally. Not the Ally since Dez. She needed something to go off of. Some kind of hope. And she thought he was that. And if he was going to shut her off, she was done.

Maybe not with the shelter, but done trying to help people who didn't want it.

"Ally, wait."

"Give me one reason to," she snapped.

He grabbed her on the wrists and pulled her back toward him. "I'm scared," he finally admitted. "I'm scared he's going to find me and then I'll never see you again. I just want to be able to sit in a place, without being bothered and know that I'm safe, and that I'm okay to just be here."

"Austin, you always are safe here!" she yelled. "I told you that. You should know that."

"I'm not safe anywhere, currently," he answered. "And that's why I'm not getting close to anyone. I enjoy your company, Ally. I enjoy you, and I enjoy the people who live here, but there is nothing for me here, other than a place to stay. Because while this is nice for right now, eventually he's going to find me, take me back and this time, I'm not going to live through whatever he has planned for me."

Ally grew even more angry, but felt so broken at the same time. Whoever he saw, whoever this was, needed to leave him alone. "Then why come back at all then?" she continued, her face heating up and tears threatening to fall. "Why come back and act like everything is okay when it obviously isn't? If you think you're just going to leave, you should have never come back at all!"

He stopped when she said that. Stopped holding her wrists, and gave her a look that she knew she wouldn't forget for a long time. He dropped her and walked out of the room, and toward the hallway. Still angry, she followed him.

"Where are you going?" she yelled.

He stopped once last time and smiled weakly at her. "Might as well not delay the inevitable."


	12. Rocky

**Wow, I'm sorry I didn't update this sooner. I didn't really have a reason not to, but I just didn't feel like writing at all. But I think this chapter makes up for it. I'm really proud of it and I really enjoy what it is. It includes a song we're gonna say Ally wrote, but all copyrighted aspects go to The Fray.**

**Also, I'm so blown away with the reviews for the last chapter. I have no words. If I could give you all a hug and whoever you want from Austin and Ally, or R5, I would. THANK YOU.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally yelled Austin's name until her voice was hoarse, but he left the shelter like he said he would. She felt pitiful for yelling at the boy, making him feel like the only resort left was going back to whatever hell he came from. Her knees sank to the ground and she felt herself shake as tears racked her body, loud sobs becoming once quiet tears.

A firm pair of hands were placed around her. They lifted her up and brought her into her makeshift room, putting her down on the bed. After making sure she was comfortable, they climbed in next to her and brushed the now wet, matted hair from her face.

"Riker, I'm a jerk," she whispered.

He patted her arm and looked to the ground, annoyed with himself for not being able to comfort the girl in any other way. It pained him to see her upset and he'd do anything to make the tears stop. Hard to do when you feel useless as a person. He couldn't make her happy.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, as another set of sobs pushed through her body.

He got up and found a piece of paper, looking at the girl who saved him on so many occasions with the saddest of eyes. _Go find him_, he wrote. Ally blinked up from the bed, staring at his written words as if it made perfect sense, yet she didn't move. It hurt to think of where he could be already at this very moment and she wanted nothing more to bury her head into the sheets and pretend it all never happened.

But Ally was a better person than that. She wished she had the nerve to not care about someone, but the truth was that Austin was already in too deep with her. She royally screwed up and it was going to take a lot of fixing to get him back here. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ally searched for her bag she threw in the room earlier and took out her car keys.

Not knowing what she found, she placed a hand on Riker's shoulder. It was an unspoken thank you and they both knew what it meant. Somehow, over the last few weeks, Riker had been her savior when times got rough. Something was wrong with that, but no one said a word. Because she couldn't see what she was doing to him. It was hard to watch the girl who laid such a special interest in him at one point, moving on to the next.

"I'll be back soon," she promised and left the room, not once looking back.

What had changed?

Ally drove down the highway towards town, looking for any sign of the blond Austin Moon. It was growing later in the day now, the sun far past the morning haze, almost near it's peak. Lunch time. She thought about his smile and laugh, wondering how he was able to go from what looked like such a happy go lucky boy into the dark, hurt boy she'd seen on too many occasions.

Cursing herself for having no idea where to start, Ally picked up speed. The exits began to become more frequent, edging off into different parts of Miami. Never once had she asked about his past, where he might be from, or anything really about him. She knew he loved music, that was all. Nothing about the boy gave off anything of where she could look first. Sure, he came to her in dirty clothes covered with blood, but that was nothing to go off of.

She grew frustrated with her barley thought out plan. _Get in the car Ally and go look for a boy who didn't want to be found. No. Don't call Trish and tell her he ran off. Don't try and do anything rational, like you used to._ Why did he do this to her? Why couldn't she _think_ when he was around?

Ally pulled into the mall entrance, deciding to take a break. She knew this place like the back of her hand. Many memories came back to her instantly, seeing the Miami mall and it's many stores. Her childhood danced across her memory, reminding her of her own love of music. Seemed like a crazy time to pull out her music book, but her fingers ended up tracing the edge of it and pulling it open to a new page.

_Step one you say 'we need to talk'  
He walks._

_You say sit down, it's just a talk  
He smiles politely back at you  
You stare politely right on through_

_Some sort of window to your right_

_As he goes left and you stay right_

_Between the lines of fear and blame_

_And you begin to wonder why you came_

More tears streamed down her face. Somehow, Austin had gotten into her brain like no one else could. She felt terrible for everything she said and most of all, responsible for anything that was about to, or could happen. With a shaky hand, she reached for her phone, realizing she needed help. Dialing the number she stuffed into her pocket only hours before, she waited for Trish to answer.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

_Let him know that you know best_

_Cause after all you do know best_

_Try to slip past his defense_

_Without granting innocence_

_Lay down a list of what is wrong_

_The things you've told him all along_

_And pray to God, he hears you_

_And pray to God, he hears you_

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

_As he begins to raise his voice_

_You lower yours and grant him one last choice_

_Drive until you lose the road_

_Or break with the ones you've followed_

_He will do one of two things_

_He will admit to everything_

_Or he'll say he's just not the same_

_And you begin to wonder why you came_

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

A knock on the window of her car sent her flying into the air. Seeing Trish standing there, her eyes concerned for not only the young girl before her, but for the runaway with a scary past, she felt relieved if only for a second. She threw the car door open and ran into the older woman's arms, sobbing her apologies and once again, begging for help.

The woman calmed her down and got her to sit. After explaining everything to her, Trish sighed. She seemed disappointed if not in Ally, in the entire situation. "Ally, what is one of the things you learn right away when you go for the major you've gone for?"

Ally sunk her head. "I know I screwed up. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Trish answered. "I'm going to call local hospitals and such over the next few hours. If anything has happened to Austin, I will know about it. This may become a legal battle once we do find him. If he's really running from someone, or now running to them, it could get ugly. I warn you now. From what it seems like, he isn't a state child or someone who is without a parent."

"What if we can't find him?"

Trish patted her leg. "We'll find him. You were angry, so was he. Once he comes around, he's going to be looking for a place to hide. Or a place to stay. Hopefully we can convince him that we're not the enemy."

_And if we can't_, Ally thought, _it's all my fault_.

They drove around in Trish's car for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a half hour. They saw no signs of the boy either, and when they drove back to the mall to switch cars so Trish could call the local hospitals, nothing was still done. Ally thought hard and long as she drove, hoping to pick up on something in her mind that would lead her to the safety of Austin.

He likes music.

That got her no where. Trish had finished calling the hospitals at this point. Most of them wouldn't even tell her anything about the ER patients because of the laws, but those that would since she was licensed had not seen him either.

"I don't like this," Ally whispered.

Trish sighed, knowing there was nothing she could say to make the situation any better. It was growing later and the schools would be letting out, making it even harder to search for a teenage boy in the midst of over a thousand. Besides, with the kids getting out of school, it meant rest of the shelter would be home. And they needed to be watched over.

Ally thought of giving up. It pained her immensely to even think of something so terrible, but what else could they do? She thought of driving around all hours of the day and night, but what would that really do? Nothing. Austin was somewhere she couldn't find just with an eye and a hopeful spirit.

Giving up wasn't the word, but Trish did tell her to drive back to the shelter.

Ally walked in numb, ignoring Rydel's smiling face and the wave of Ratliff's hand.

Rocky seemed to know something was off and glared at her, slamming the door to his room.

Rocky.

Rocky!

Ally ran to the door and knocked on it as hard as her hands would allow. "Rocky!" she yelled. "Can I come in?"

As the others stared at her sudden action, the door slid open with a questioning glare. "What?"

"I need your help."

He snickered. "Why?"

"Because you're the closest thing that Austin had to a friend in this place and now that he's gone, I need someone to help me." His expression softened at the mention of Austin's name. He pulled her inside and slammed the door shut again, leaning against it. It became apparent that he knew something had been wrong, but didn't realize Austin had run off again.

"What did you do to him?"

Ally went to argue, but just shook her head. "We had a fight. At this point, it's just important we find him before he gets hurt. Do you know of anywhere he'd go? Did he ever tell you anything personal at all? I know you're mad at me, Rocky. I know you're mad in general. But this is about _Austin_. And I need to find him. _Please_."

Rocky was giving her directions to a small park off the highway. She'd seen it plenty of times over the years, but never went inside. While many found solace in nature, Ally was more of a person to lock herself in her room and write music, not sit under a tree and do the same thing. Don't get her wrong, she was in the cloud watching club years ago, but it wasn't the same thing. And this wasn't the park they went to.

It was old and run down, seeing much better days. Which was ironic considering it was just on the outskirts of the better part of Miami. But even beauty has it's faults, right?

Ally slowed down as they neared the decaying entrance. A hinged door swung in the gentle wind, almost making it seem like a horror movie and not their lives. The rusted gate swung closed as they neared it, and Rocky pulled it opened with a heavy thrust. It slammed against an old fence, making the entire area wake up. Birds ran from trees, loudly proclaiming their annoyance.

"I hope he's here."

Rocky just gave her a look. He'd made it very apparent back at the house he was only doing this for Austin, and not her.

They walked along the broken cement, looking for any signs of Austin. Nothing so far, but all there really were happened to be trees and unkempt brush of bushes and such.

A faint image of a playground became larger, it's old metal framework also rusted and showed heavy signs of old age. A swing set sat along toward the front, it's seats swinging like the gates. A slide also sat idly to the left, looking like it hadn't been played on in months. There was a jungle gym in the middle, twisted and curved to be the best place to hide as a child. It had many sections to it, none of which you could fully see.

Ally knew immediately if the boy was he, this is where he would be hiding. You could stay in any part of it for days and not be seen. It was obvious. You could live here. No kids played on it anymore. It was filthy and ran the chance of getting hurt, instead of having fun.

"Austin!" Rocky yelled, probably agreeing with Ally's thoughts himself. He pushed Ally behind a tree, motioning that he was better off talking to him first. She agreed and hid, watching as Rocky took careful steps forward. "It's Rocky! Man, I know you told me about this place. Where are you?"

And then, everything became fuzzy for a second as Austin stepped forward, sporting a heavy black eye and more bruises than she could count. A busted lip that swelled to the point where it would make it difficult for him to talk also showed it's appearance.

Ally gasped involuntarily and immediately covered her mouth. She wasn't supposed to show her appearance yet.

"What the fuck happened to you, bro?"

"It's a long story."

"Shit, you need to come back to the shelter. Or go to a hospital, man."

"I'm fine." Austin stumbled forward, proving otherwise. A heavy limp became apparent as he neared the older boy. He was also holding onto his arm, and his eyes were filled with pain. "Don't worry about me. Go back there and enjoy yourself."

"Austin… man… no. This is not how it works."

He glared back at Rocky. "How the hell would you know?"

Rocky laughed coldly, moving forward to glare at him. "You think you're the only one who has ever dealt with shit like this? I was abused every day of my life, man. Every fucking day. I went home and was told I was worthless and not worthy of being my father's son. He told me I deserved to die. I was kicked around and punched. I was burned more times than I can remember. I was spit on and locked in a room. I can go on, but I think you got the point. No one ever wanted to help me. The school I went to didn't give a damn about my father's abusive shit. self You know why I was never good enough? Because I was depressed. I hated myself and everything around me. He thought that meant I was nothing. He didn't think that depression was anything real. I was making it up, trying to get attention. I wanted to die. I wished I would. Then one day, I realized I was better than that. I ran. I ran for miles. I got rides. I moved on. I made something better for myself because I knew I deserved better." Austin was wide eyed at Rocky's story. He grabbed onto his shoulders and shook the shocked boy. "_You_ deserve better."

Ally was crying silent tears at this point. She had tried for months to get Rocky to talk about his past and he wouldn't say a word. Something must have gave inside of him because he was yelling now, screaming about his own story. Ally was proud and terrified at the same time. He did deserve better. And she was glad he realized that much.

Rocky had a long way to go, but without even realizing it, telling someone of what happened to him, made a big dent in getting rid of his anger.

His voice woke her up again and she listened carefully, "Bro, whatever you're running from, or whoever is doing this to you, has no right to do so. I know the shelter can suck at times but trust me when I tell you, they do give a damn. They're annoying as fucking hell and they treat you like you're a child but they care. They want to make sure you're okay. I can promise you, whatever you're running from is not worth sleeping in this place every night when there is a warm bed waiting for you there. No, it's not perfect, but it's something. And as much as I hate to admit it, it's a _family_. Something I never had. Something they want to give you. Let them. Come back with us."

"… Us?"

Ally stepped forward then, deciding it was a good time to show she was there. "Hi, Austin."

He backed up. "No."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But you don't have to forgive me. Listen to Rocky. Come back to the shelter. We'll figure something out. We'll get you help. Please… please don't go back to whoever did this to you. I know I said a lot of bad things and I made a lot of stupid remarks. I promise you, I didn't mean any of it. I do know that I care about you and I've spent the entire day wishing I could take it all back. Please… please, just … listen to Rocky. Please."


	13. Scared

**I warn you now, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for, asking about, and worrying about. I am very ready to run away as I'm sure some of you are going to hate me for what I've put Austin though. Well, hopefully not really, but I'm prepared. Okay, maybe not. But it's definitely a very sad story and I hope I'm doing it justice for him and his character.**

**Also, your reviews. I love them. All of them.  
To whoever asked if Dez is coming back at some point, I don't really know.  
I've considered it myself, but I haven't decided yet. The story is far from over and it's actually in a lot of ways, just begun. I've told some of you what I've got planned including lots of music and a lot of jealousy and angsty, angsty teens.  
Hehe.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Somehow, Austin ended up in the backseat of Ally's car with Rocky. It probably wasn't because of her since he had not said a single word after briefly nodding his head. He had looked to Rocky with an expression of understanding and limped his way toward the exit and into the car. Ally was driving to the local hospital, hoping he wasn't as injured as he seemed.

A million questions were pressing at her mouth. But she didn't dare say a word yet. Rocky had also laid out such a mess in front of her, how would she ever pretend she didn't hear his story? It wasn't like he was ready to have the deepest conversation ever. More so, he realized that Austin was seriously going to get hurt if he didn't come with them and it was the only way to convince him otherwise.

"Rocky, do me a favor and call Trish and tell her to meet us at the hospital," Ally finally said softly, passing the boy her phone. He didn't say a word but did as he was told, uttering a reply to pass onto the older woman.

The car ride continued in silence until they reached the bright ER doors. Rocky and Austin got out, telling her to park and they'd meet her inside. Ally took her time though, knowing he was in better hands once inside that hospital. She sat in her car, trying to process everything that had happened in the last few hours.

Everything swirled around her, a million miles a minute. Her thoughts clashed angry with her emotions, once more sending her into a fury of tears. She hated feeling sorry for herself when she was perfectly fine compared to those she was supposed to help, but who was going to look out for her? Trish was also concerned with those around her. Very rarely did she hear, "How are you doing? Are you okay?"

Not really.

Ally sighed and pulled the keys from the car, shutting the door with a simple thud. The large hospital almost glared back at her, as if questioning why she bothered at all. Ignoring her thoughts still swirling, she edged her way toward where she dropped the boys off and into the waiting room.

She quickly found Rocky sitting alone, looking on edge and worried. "Hey."

He looked up. "Hey."

"Where is Austin?"

"They took him in a room by himself."

Ally felt sick at this. He should have friends around him now. Someone familiar. Not alone in a hospital where he was already feeling hurt and lost. "What did the nurses say?"

"Nothing." His expression soured more. "Told me I should call his parents and go home."

"They don't know the situation," Ally said carefully, sitting down next to him. "Trish is on her way. She'll settle this."

"No," he answered back. "She probably won't. We don't even know if Austin has parents at all. He might be running from his parents or something, Ally. Once she walks in and says who she is, they're going to call the state in. I know how shit like this works. I tried this many times. I always ended back up in my old house. It never ended."

"We don't even know what caused Austin this."

Rocky just turned his shoulder and stared at the wall, obviously done talking to her. Seeing he was okay seemed to ease his anger toward the girl, but he was still obviously hurt from what happened to be going on around him.

The shelter was supposed to offer stability. These kids had seen none of that in the last few weeks. It was a miracle they were all as sane as they were. Well, sane as they could be. Ally stared at the white walls, thinking about hospital clichés. People milled around her, talking in hushed voices while the scent of clean just drenched the air.

"This is agonizing," Ally thought out loud. "I wish we knew something. Or could do something."

He just snickered.

"Sorry I said anything," she mumbled back.

Trish decided to walk in then and Ally was happy to see someone who could do something more. After explaining everything that happened, Trish ran off toward the nurses, determined to fight for the blond boy herself. If anyone would be able to convince them to let them in, it would be her.

Ally continued to watch Rocky and then remembered what he had also confessed hours ago.

"I'm proud of you, Rocky."

He seemed honestly surprised with what she said and glanced her way. Uneasiness took over his face and his lips pressed together. "Why?"

"Because you finally told someone what's happened to you. Do you know how important that is? I don't mean for this to become a therapy session by any means, but I just want you to know that. You have no idea how relieved I was to here you say that. I don't know what else to say to you, but that I'm proud of you. You may not think so, but you've come a long way."

He just stared back at her, finally his expression softening. It wasn't a happy one, but more one of content and appreciation. "You're all right, Ally."

Ally couldn't help but grin stupidly back at him, a soft giggle escaping her lips. She didn't have to answer him. There was something unspoken from that point on. Things between them were okay.

Trish came back over a few minutes later, an annoyed expression on her face. "Well, good news is that Austin is going to be okay. Bad news is we can't see him yet."

"Why?" both asked.

"He's still being taken care of." Trish ran a hand through her hair. "Ally, can I talk to you for a second?"

Ally looked to Rocky who seemed a bit disappointed to not be included, but nodded her head. "Yeah, sure."

They walked off to the side. "I didn't want to say this in front of him but I think we both need to realize tonight is going to change things at the shelter. I hate to say it, but Austin's got a record here. Old injuries. They're notifying his parents as we speak and hopefully, this isn't the cause because if it is, it's about to get ugly."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that the state is about to come in and ask a lot of questions. If Austin tells the hospital who is doing this, someone will be taken in for questioning. From there, they decide what happens. Austin turns eighteen in a few months, according to reports. Right now, he's not able to make his own choices. If he has family in the area, he might end up with them. If not, he goes into the hands of the state and from there, we can fight for him. It won't be an easy night by any means, but I want you to know, if the person who is doing this to him is coming to this hospital right now, it will be settled. I won't let that boy get hurt again."

Trish had such a determination in her eyes it set fire to Ally as well. She felt sick at the same time though, her stomach churning over losing the boy against her will. He could be whisked off to some family he didn't even like or know if it ended up being his parents who were hurting him. And honestly, who else could it be? If he was sleeping in parks and running from someone near here, it had to be one of his parents. Ally felt sick. The kid was probably terrified.

Just then, a loud voice entered the room, talking to one of the nurses.

"I'm here to see Austin Moon."

Ally shuddered instantly and from some feeling deep inside of her, knew somewhere behind her stood a very evil person.

Trish and Ally turned around at the same time, laying eyes on a large, burly man who looked terrifying like she had predicted. He had long, stringy hair that fell half down his back, kept tied away from his face by what looked like an old string. From the discolored prints on his hands, Ally guessed he was a mechanic.

But it was his face that just gave her chills.

Stone like eyes stared at the small framed nurse in front of him. His eyebrows pointed what seemed to be forever downward and his lips were also dirty and worn. He just looked dirty in general … and mean. Unbelievably mean.

"It has to be him," a voice said. Rocky. He was standing up next to them now, his entire body shaking. Somehow, it probably brought back unhappy memories for him. Ally placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as they stared at the guy in front of them, waiting for the nurse's answer.

She also had a similar expression of shock and fear, paging the doctor to the front to speak with him. She also pointed their way, motioning for all of them to come forward. Ally wanted to stay right there. She didn't want to meet this man. Trish was first to step toward him, dragging Ally and Rocky by their hands.

"This is who he came in with."

The man stared down at the short group. "Jimmy Stock. What do you know about Austin?"

"Who are you?" Ally blurted before thinking.

He stared down at her with such menacing eyes she wished she never spoke. "I'm his step father. Who are you?"

Ally darted a bit toward Trish.

Trish took over. Despite the man being absolutely a threat to look at, he had been very in line so far. But Ally had not a doubt in her mind she was staring at the man who hurt the poor boy.

"I'm Trish Pereez. I'm currently in charge at Marie's Shelter. Austin has been staying with us the last few days. We found him today with severe injuries and brought him here. We have reason to believe someone is hurting him, so the authorities have been called and an investigation has been started, Mr. Stock. We'd like your cooperation in finding who is hurting him. It is seemingly very serious of a situation and Austin is in the need of help."

Ally never thought she'd see a human like Hulk but the guy in front of her might as well have turned green. He stepped forward even more, practically on top of Trish now and glared at her. "Who the hell do you think you are, bitch?"

She didn't back down. "I suggest you step back, sir as you are on camera and there is security all around you. If you wish to speak to me about your step son, we will do so civilly. I'm waiting for the authorities to arrive and until then, I have other matters to attend to, like the safety of young Austin."

Trish was hitting all the wrong yet right buttons, simply proving to herself that the guy was guilty of abuse.

Ally and Rocky stepped back as the two glared at each other, both also relieved when two police officers walked in. It was a matter of seconds when all the commotion started and words began to fly like venom through the air. The two stood there in complete shock as Jimmy Stock lost it on both cops, screaming about Austin and how there shouldn't be an investigation at all. Words began to mesh between the group and Rocky motioned for Ally to follow him through a set of doors, while everyone was distracted.

"What are you doing?" she whispered angrily at him. "You can't just go back there!"

"Who is going to stop me?" he questioned with a smirk. "Now come on, do you want to see Austin or not?"

Ally thought she would like to see him, but not get arrested while doing so. With a sigh, she followed after him, deciding it was better back there then the war going on in the front of the place. They darted through a hallway, looking for the blond boy. Most of the rooms were closed off, making their search even harder.

"Austin?" Rocky hissed. Most of the nurses had gone to help up front, as the noise had gotten louder.

Ally pulled on his arm, hoping that her own fear wasn't showing too much through. She was the adult here, after all.

Then, Ally saw him. Lying down on a bed, his eyes closed with such a peaceful look on his face, it was obvious he had no idea what was going on just beyond those doors. "Austin!" she yelped too loudly, making a few others stare her way. Rocky groaned and pulled her along, closing the door behind them.

Austin sat up in alarm, his arm in a sling. "What is going on?" he asked softly.

Was it that obvious there was something wrong?

"Austin, I don't mean to scare you," Ally started.

Rocky snickered and pushed her aside. "Bro, someone named Jimmy Stock is here. Who is he?"

And that was just the confirmation all needed to know Jimmy Stock was the man behind all of this. His step father… but if he had a step father, he also had a mother. Where was she and why wasn't she protecting him from any of this?

"I need to get out of here," he muttered, getting up off the bed, but crumbling to the floor when his weight decided to overpower his injured body. "He's going to kill me. I mean it this time. He's going to kill me."

"Austin," Ally said with such a determined tone both stopped to look at her. "If you don't realize this, you're in a hospital with cops outside. He isn't going to get to you here."

"You don't know him, you don't realize who he is," he answered in such a quiet tone. Never before had Austin been so fragile and scared to them and Ally was shattering looking at him shake before her. Rocky helped him back onto the bed, walking over to the door with a smirk. He took a chair and placed it over the door, so no one could enter.

"Man, you're with us right now. Tell is what the hell is going on."

Austin seemed to realize he wasn't going to get very fair injured and sighed, leaning back on the bed. "Might as well make it my last thing I say alive because someone will at least know he's a monster."

Ally wanted to say he wouldn't die but she couldn't make any promises at the moment, when she was terrified herself of the man just outside those doors.

Austin finally looked up, toward Ally. "Remember when I told you there was someone I'd never be able to see again and it hurt more than anything?" he asked.

Ally vaguely remembered the conversation from his first night there and nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, I was talking about my mom." His eyes filled with tears but they stayed where they were. "She was a soldier in the war. That's how her and Jimmy met. Jimmy was dishonorably discharged for assault last year, but my mom didn't seem to realize who the hell she was dating. He was nice at first, just how they all are. Gentleman and loved me, apparently, offered to help get us back on our feet. We were really poor and he had some money, from where, I don't even want to know."

Austin paused, angrily staring at the wall now.

"But when he got discharged, it only seemed to fuel their love more. They got engaged only after meeting a month before and they were married two weeks later. I live in his house… or lived I guess but he'd never officially adopted me."

"I don't understand," Rocky said. "If your mom knows he's doing this, why won't she stop it?"

"She doesn't … didn't know," he whispered. "It didn't start until after she left."

"Left?"

"War," he said simply. "A year long deployment. I had my doubts about him the moment we were alone together, the first time. He just seemed so different and cruel around me. I can't even describe it because it wasn't anything that he really did. I just got a feeling and how do you explain that to your mother who has a duty to the country? She was a medic. She had no choice but to fly back to Afghanistan."

He sighed.

"It was little things are first. He wouldn't buy any food for me and wouldn't even offer to give me anything to eat. He never gave me money for books. I often stole to get what I needed to survive. I feel terrible about it, but it was the only way to do so. I thought maybe he was doing it in some sort of army training shit, so I asked if he wanted me to get a job. He said I didn't need one and just laughed. I didn't know what that meant, so I went back to stealing my food and whatever I needed. One day, I was caught. My number is our home one, so he always gets to it and sees who calls, of course. He came and picked me up. That was six months ago, the first time he hit me. It was just one punch to the face, but it just… it hurt so badly for weeks. I thought maybe he shattered something and I would never be okay again. I mean, physically that is."

Ally was in tears already.

"But I ignored it, deciding army men had their way and maybe it was tough love. After all, every time my mom would call he'd talk so highly of me and I thought maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe it's me that's fucked up and he's fine. But it continued. Soon I wasn't able to play my guitar anymore… he just broke it. Said it wasn't worth my time and I needed to be a real man like him. I was just in such shock over his actions I didn't know what to say. I started lying to my mom on the phone. After a while, he'd come home drunk and just start hitting me. For no apparent reason. I thought if I stayed out a lot, I'd be okay. Kept figuring it was me. But when I would come back to the house, he'd be angry too. Hit me some more. It was nothing unbearable though. So, I let it be. Whatever. My mom would be home in less than six months and everything would be okay again."

Austin looked up at the two in front of him, the tears starting to overflow. "That's when everything just fell apart. I was home and so was he when someone knocked on the door. I answered it as he was too drunk to even care. Two guys in a military uniform were standing there, a letter in their hands. They regretted to inform me…" He broke down, his entire body racked with sobs. "She died in battle. Saving another one of the soldiers. Went down a hero, they said. I took in the papers and sat down, staring at them. I lost it then and started to sob. He came in trying to see why I was so upset and he grabbed the papers, reading them himself. I don't doubt he cared for her, but apparently that was my fault that she was… gone. I can't begin to tell you how bad it hurt the second he threw me into the wall. I couldn't get up, I couldn't see. I barely remember anything he said. He kept kicking me and kicking me until I could taste blood, something about how if she didn't have to care for me, she wouldn't be there."

Rocky was also shaking now and both were hugging each other. The room seemed to darken and the air was cold, ice cold.

"It just got to the point where I was more bruised than not and I didn't know what I was living for. I fought back in one last attempt to do something for myself which ended up with me getting that damn beer bottle tossed over my head. I ran and ran until I was almost unable to walk, somehow ending up in front of the shelter. I lied when I told you I didn't remember that night, Ally. I did, every bit of it. But I couldn't admit that he was right, I wasn't a man. I was a coward who ran away and hoped my problems would be fixed. So, I left and hoped maybe I was wrong and we could work this out. My optimism is going to be the death of me someday. He beat me again and I walked the streets this time, knowing I couldn't go back there because the next time, he'd kill me. So, I wandered for a few days, knowing how bad it was. And then I decided what could really happen if I stayed at the shelter? You guys seemed like such a family together and I wanted that. I missed my family. So, I came back. And I was having such a great time with Rocky and the others and you, Ally. I thought maybe this is what I was supposed to find. And then, at the mall. He was there. I saw him and I know he saw me, so I knew I couldn't do it. I couldn't take the idea of him knowing I was there so once again, I ran. I didn't know what to do. I was terrified not only for myself, but you guys too. I was worried he would come back and hurt me and hurt everyone I was growing attached to. And then, I knew I should tell you but I didn't want to involve you. And… well, we got angry. I never meant a word I said either, Ally. I just… you have to understand how scared I was. How scared I am. I just want to be okay. I want to be able to close my eyes at night and not have to worry about tomorrow. To know that I'm not living my days wondering if he's going to hurt me again and take away any solitude I should ever have. I don't want to be that person who lives in fear everyday of someone. I want to be happy. I just want to be happy."


	14. Relax

**Wow, I'm sorry for the wait in this chapter. I've been busy and lazy and that is just not fair to you guys, especially when you're leaving me some of the nicest reviews ever! I really appreciate it and I'm overwhelmed with the support of this story. I'm always nervous to post something when I know it's not what you usually see on here. The response has been awesome. Thank you!**

**As for this chapter, it's pretty slow, but I think it's needed after the last few. You meet a new character in this, and I think you'll enjoy him.**

**As for the reviews... you're going to make me cry. 17 reviews. I love you. ALL.**

**And as for Austin and Ally, I loved the duet Ross and Laura did, and would love to see more of them.**

**Also, who is going to the R5 east coast tour? ME! Are you?!**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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Ally nor Rocky knew what to say to Austin, who was looking more and more distressed by the second. The two exchanged a look and Ally did what she only knew how to do perfectly, give him a hug. She held him for what seemed like hours, listening to the soft sniffles and gentle shakes of his body. He was holding onto her, almost latched on, his breathing coming in hysterical bursts.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling in agony after hearing the story. "I'm sorry for pushing you. I didn't know."

Austin gently shoved her off, wincing at the soreness of his body. "You didn't know. And that's okay."

"I'm sorry," she said again, figuring it bared repeating as many times as she could. "Don't be scared. As long as we're around, we're going to fight for you. Trish is out there right now kicking butt and taking names, Austin."

He laughed softly. "She seems like she'd be entertaining angry."

"Beyond," Rocky said, speaking for the first time since Austin finished talking.

The three shared a soft, but not really true laugh as they stared around the room. Their solitude would not last long, as hell awaited them on the other side of the hospital. Sooner or later, someone was going to come looking for not only the one being fought over, but Ally and Rocky too.

"Thank you," Austin finally said. His eyes gleamed with a slight hope but still a lot of fear tried to push it's way through. "I'm not sure what tonight is going to hold and that scares me to no end, but I'm glad to know someone… or ones have my back."

Reality decided it was a good time to knock on the door and all eyes traveled to the hospital doorframe, wondering who could be on the other side. Considering the two friends had snuck back here, a moment of panic set in and they scrambled toward a hiding spot, knowing they were in so much trouble if it was the police or the hospital staff on the other side.

Austin stayed on his makeshift bed, eyeing the door with wide puppy eyes.

When Rocky pushed aside the chair and darted behind it, allowing whoever was trying to get in their chance, it opened to reveal the least menacing person they could see. Well, that is, for them.

"Trish?" Ally breathed in relief.

She glared at her volunteer, waving a finger at her. "We're going to pretend I didn't see you back here and that you didn't just break a law by doing so, Ally!"

"Sorry," she shrugged, stepping from her hiding spot behind the curtain, Rocky following suit. He smiled hesitantly at the smaller woman and waved a tentative hand. She cursed in Spanish and pointed her finger toward Austin. Her eyes softened, seeing the state he was in and finally she walked over.

"I know this is the last thing you want to do right now, but I need you to come with me, Austin." Trish flickered her gaze toward the frightened group behind her, sighing a bit loudly before motioning to her right. "In the next room is a set of police officers. They want to ask you a few questions. I know it's a lot to take in right now, seeing as it probably was a long day for you, but if you answer their questions, there is more of a chance of you coming back to the shelter with us, if you're cleared by the hospital staff."

His terrified eyes momentarily lit up and he slipped off the bed, taking the horrible gown he wore with him. His shoes, dirty and showing the hint of blood, dragged along with him and he followed her into the other room. Trish glared at Rocky and Ally and closed the door behind her. Ally sighed, leaning on the wall.

"What?" Rocky said, looking at her with a smirk. "You're not going to listen in."

"I've broken enough laws for one night," she hissed back, disgusted with his idea. "Besides, I've heard enough of his story. I'm good on all the gory details."

Rocky snickered and leaned his ear on the cool door. "Suit yourself. I, for one want to hear what's going on."

"That's great," she muttered, picking at her nails. "Call me when you're arrested or escorted out by the police inside. I'm sure Trish will love having to bail you out of jail tonight."

"Live a little, Ally."

He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to where he was standing. While she refused to be the person who listened in, he was trying his hardest to hear everything that went on. It wasn't hard to hear though, as the cops weren't really that quiet.

"What are they saying?"

"I thought you didn't want to listen in."

"Shut up, Rocky," she muttered. "Is everything okay though?"

"They're asking him to confirm the abuse." He paused and tried again to hear what they were saying. "He says that … oh shit, I think he's crying, Ally."

Ally felt her heart give at that and she looked helplessly to no one in particular. This day just needed to be over. For everyone. Especially Austin.

"He just said that he's been abusing him for months." Rocky sighed, leaning back.

A few nurses passed by them then and they pretended they weren't totally breaking the law. Just as Ally was going to say something, the door opened and both Ross and Trish walked out, followed by two large cops who Ally recognized from the front. He shook Trish's hand and thanked her, and then told Austin to feel better.

Uneasy eyes all around, the two friends waited to hear what would happen next. "Austin is going home with us tonight, but they want him back at the station in the morning. Until this is all sorted, it's going to be a long week." She glanced at Ally and pulled her aside. "They're arresting his step father right this minute. I'm a bit worried about Austin. He seems very shaken up, as he should be."

"What do you want me to do?"

Trish smiled lightly, patting her on the arm. "You've done enough, Ally. I just wanted to thank you, and tell you that you should go home tonight, get some sleep. It's going to be a long week with a lot of state workers at the shelter and such. I'll need you around just to be a friend not only to Austin but the others. We've also got a therapist starting there tomorrow and a few other workers later in the week. It's going to be very busy. I hope you just know how much I appreciate what you do. You're a volunteer, but you exceed all expectations for one."

Not good with flattery, she just blushed and nodded her head.

Rocky and Austin walked up then, Austin holding his things. His eyes were starting to sport dark circles and his limp was getting worse by the minute. Steadying him with her arm, she allowed him to lean his sore body on hers. "You're safe," she reminded him.

He smiled weakly back, but he knew better obviously. He wasn't safe until his step father was behind bars… and for a very long time.

Ally, much to her own surprise, took Trish's suggestion and slept in her own bed that night. To be honest, it had been such a draining day and she wasn't sure if she could handle seeing the others and having to explain what had happened. Besides, Austin had Rocky and Trish, and it seemed like he was going to crash the moment he got into bed that night. So, there wasn't much for her to do.

And as much as it had been a crazy day, she slept well that night.

No nightmares of what had happened, no worries about what was to come. For those several hours of rest, she was fine. If only stuff like that lasted.

But morning came early and she prepared for her day of classes quickly, hoping to get there early to make better amends to showing up late a few days before. She was beginning to really hate going, since everything was so boring at this point, but she figured the faster it went, the closer she was to being done for good.

And then to find a job.

She thought about what Trish had offered, wondering if she could really handle what that job took. A part of her laughed, knowing she might as well work there already. It wasn't like she didn't have more support and trust from her than just any volunteer would, but so much more would be on her shoulders in a sense of it was her actual job and she was expected to be her best every second of every day.

Her mind continued to wander through her classes and she grew more and more eager to see how Austin was holding up. She knew that he had to go back to the station today and make an official statement, while the others were in class as well, but afterwards, it would just be him and Riker alone in the house, with the new therapist and Trish, who had to be exhausted herself.

As she walked to her car, she continued to wonder what would happen to him now. If his step father had no legal rights to him, who would he live with? Did he have any other family in the area? Or was his relative hours away and she would never see him again? Or did he have any at all? He would definitely be one of them, at that point.

Pulling into the shelter parking lot, she parked and ran into the building, hoping that the entire day would be better than the last. She ran until she reached Riker's room, noting it was empty.

A tap on the shoulder made her jump and she turned to see the smiling face of Riker. "Oh my Gosh, Riker!" she laughed. "Why do you always do that?"

He shrugged lightly and pulled her into a hug.

"What was that for?"

"Just thought you needed it," he mouthed.

She smiled. "You're amazing."

He grinned back and just as she went to say something else, Austin appeared behind him, walking with who she assumed was the new therapist. He was talking softly to the boy, who just looked like he wanted him to leave him alone and go away.

"Austin!" she cried, nearly running toward him.

Behind her, Riker sighed, and folded his arms.

"How are you doing?" she asked in a soft voice.

He made a face at that, but smiled afterward. "If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that today, I'd be rich at this point."

She blushed. "You look better."

He nodded lightly and shifted his weight to the side, leaning on the wall. The man next to him smiled and for a moment, she realized she recognized him from somewhere. She looked briefly back and forth between him and the man and then smiled awkwardly. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

He laughed warmly at her, his eyes twinkling under the dim lights. "You're quick to forget these days, Ally."

"I do know you!" she gasped.

"Well, I would have hoped you would of remembered me. After all, you did date Dallas for several years."

"Oh my Gosh!" Ally nearly threw herself into a hug with the man. "Jackson! How could I have ever forgotten you? I feel so terrible now! You cut your hair! I should have recognized those handsome features you share with your brother!"

He laughed again, putting his arms around her. Like Dallas, he had dark brown hair that was neatly placed on his head, barely reaching past his eyebrows. At one point, it had been all the way down his back, but apparently that had changed. A few years older than Dallas, he had been studying, much to her terrible memory, to go into this field. Small world, right?

"How are you?" she asked. "How is Dallas? I never see him anymore. I know he went to play football, but I would have thought we'd keep in touch."

"Dallas is great, he's enjoying himself. I'm well too. Obviously got a job, and well, it seems like we'll be working together! I didn't know you worked here. Are you finished with school? You seem a little young to already have your degree. I thought you and Dallas were the same age…"

"No, Dallas is a year younger than me, Jackson. But I'm finishing up now, about to graduate. I actually just volunteer here, but I might actually end up having a job if I'm good." She grinned a little.

"Ally Dawson, I don't believe you have a bad bone in your body."

She agreed and almost forgot Austin was standing there. Blushing, she gently grabbed him on the arm. "I think you and I should go for a ride, if you're up to it. Maybe to the mall. This time, maybe we can actually really enjoy ourselves. And besides, you deserve it. Hey, maybe we could see a movie!"

"That actually sounds really nice," he admitted. "Can you invite some of the others? It feels safer that way…"

Jackson went to say something but held back, allowing a small smile to replace his words.

Ally nodded excitedly. "Sure! I'll ask Riker and Rydel. Rocky too, but he might not want to go."

A few minutes later, all three of the others agreed to go, much to Ally's surprise. Rocky actually seemed excited to leave the shelter and piled into Ally's car without much of second thought. Riker and Rydel, both chatting behind Ally and Austin, also seemed content. Maybe this was what everyone needed. A chance to let lose and enjoy themselves, not having to worry about anything for a minute.

They drove to the mall, quickly deciding on a comedy that had just been added to the list of movies to watch. Rocky and Austin were talking music as they waited for drinks, while Rydel was trying to decide on candy. Leaving Ally and Riker alone for a minute, Ally suddenly remembered they never finished his song.

"I'm so sorry I forgot," she mumbled pathetically. "I've been so caught up in all the Austin stuff that I never finished it with you. Tomorrow, are you free? It's Saturday so I don't have any plans and I'll spend the entire day with you, and we'll work on the song."

He nodded, his entire demeanor changing with her words.

As they settled in for the movie, everything just seemed alright.


	15. Dallas

**I'm again sorry for the wait of this chapter. Most of it was because of Hurricane Sandy. I'm in one of the areas that was hit very hard and while my house was spared serious damager, a lot of my friends are now homeless until they can rebuild and fix the flood damage. It's very depressing and I'm glad to have a house and warmth tonight. Please consider that if you're having a bad night.**

**Anyway, I'm back with a long chapter. I was going to continue onto this chapter, but it was getting long and I thought the next part should stay in the next chapter, so I cut it. It's still really long and I think you'll enjoy what I've done with Ally's past. We know a lot about other characters, but not much about her relationship with Dallas, or Jackson. Besides, don't you always wonder what made Ally really go for the job at the shelter? Sure, she likes advice and such, but helping people is a bit more than that. Anyway, I really like what I wrote.**

**Again, thank you for all the reviews you've given me. I feel so loved and I'm so glad you enjoy this. I hate authors that go on and on about their reviews, but really, there are no words to really say how much I appreciate it. I understand more now the shock of seeing your review count go that high. It's never happened to me with such a short amount of chapters and it makes me feel loved. And that my writing is appreciated. So, thanks!**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I had a great time tonight," Austin said as the group walked back into the shelter a few hours later. Austin had improved a lot in the last few hours. His limp was slowly starting to fade and the bruises were too, as the cuts also healed. He seemed happier and while he was far from fine, it was much better than the mess she had seen last night. "I needed it and I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me, Ally. I'm sorry for the things I say to you the other day, as well. I wasn't being fair."

"You don't need to apologize to me," she defended, shaking her head. "At all, Austin. Don't worry about anything you said. Let's just pretend it never happened."

"You know," he said, after a moment. "I'm almost thankful for what you said to me. It brought me home, and I finally realized how messed up I was, and what I was doing to myself. Maybe, it was what I needed to hear. If you never said it, I might have just kept pretending my step father was just a bit harsh and … I don't know. In a weird way, I'm really thankful for what you said."

Ally chuckled. "Well, that's a twisted way to think."

The two exchanged a smile as Austin sat down on his bed, easing himself slowly to relieve any pain. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing," she said simply. "I don't have much of a social life."

He seemed surprised but didn't say anymore. "So, Jackson. He's your ex's brother?"

"Yeah," she said, being reminded of running into him earlier. "Small world. Was he nice to you?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"He's good with people, he always has been," she replied with a smile. "Dallas always thought he'd end up helping people in some way."

"And Dallas?" he asked. "Sorry, I don't mean to ask so many questions. I just want to know more about you."

"What about Dallas?"

"Why did you break up?"

"Simple differences," she explained. "He wanted different things. We had a lot of fun when we were together. He was the first boy I loved. We dated for years. Through school and through my first year of college. Then he got into a college far away and we realized while we liked each other a lot, it wouldn't work very well. Besides, he has a lot different plans for his life than I do. Dallas wants to travel. I don't mind Florida."

Austin nodded. "Me too. I never minded Florida. My mom and I moved around a lot when I was younger because she was in the military. I've been all over. Florida has been my favorite. It's nice all year round and the people are awesome."

"Do you miss her?"

Austin sighed and nodded again. "Yeah, a lot. I mean, we never really got to see each other much anyway. She was deployed most of my teen years. Medics always have a need in the war. She was good at what she did and loved her job. Died doing her job for our country. I'm proud of her and I will always miss her."

Ally noted he was starting to get sad and tried to brighten the room. "Well, tomorrow is another day. Do you have to go anywhere or are you here?"

"If I have it my way, here. Trish wants to keep a strict eye on me," he chuckled. "I guess I worry her."

"Everyone does at some point." Ally thought back to everyone else who had shown up here in the last few months. "It's part of the job."

"Well, I don't mind. It's nice. I'm going to try and sleep, Ally. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I got a date with Riker," she laughed. "I kind of stood him up the other day and forgot about our plans. So, I owe him. I'll be here nice and early. See you then."

Saturday proved to be a beautiful day and the weather only improved through the morning. As the group thinned out, most of them spending the day at the park, or going to hang out with other friends, it left oddly enough, only Rocky, Riker, Austin, and Ally in the house. Rocky and Austin, seemingly becoming better friends by the day, shut the door to their room and a soft guitar could be heard.

"It's just you and me," Ally smiled, placing her hands on her lap as he finished his breakfast.

Riker grinned too, than tossed his stuff into the sink, following her into his bedroom. Quickly getting his guitar and notebook of songs, they walked together toward the backyard of the shelter.

It was only a matter of a few seconds after Riker sat down on the grass that he began to play his old guitar. Ally watched, as he intensely played on the thing he loved the most. It was the only thing the accident didn't take from him completely all those years ago, his music. While he lost his singing voice, he was still able to close his eyes and just play the guitar until the entire world melted away.

He was passionate. He loved his music. He loved to perform, while he couldn't do it as well as he wished anymore, sometimes when he was sure they were alone, he'd break out in a dance and just strum the guitar and Ally would sing. But no one ever saw that. It had to remain a secret. After all, it was so unlike Ally, and Riker was so nervous and insecure about his talent.

"Let's finish this," she finally said and he stopped his music for a moment and broke into the opening chords of Say You'll Stay, the title he had apparently given to the song a few days before.

Ally hummed along until she felt comfortable singing along and they played like that for what seemed like hours. Riker looked up, after a while with a huge smile on his face. He eagerly grabbed his notebook and began to write furiously, his fingers seemingly moving at speeds she wasn't aware existed.

He pushed his finished writing towards her.

"You're amazing," it read. "I could listen to you sing all day. Thanks for helping. I know it's not complete but I feel a lot better when you're around to write."

Ally blushed a little but smiled warmly back at Riker too. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help. I love our little sessions out here. We should do them more often."

"Wow, that was really good," another voice suddenly said, cutting off whatever answer Riker had planned on either writing or mouthing back to her. Ally felt every inch of her body freeze when three sets of eyes met hers. Austin, Jackson, and Rocky all stood a few feet away. Ally immediately felt self-conscious, and a little annoyed with one of the group.

Rocky especially knew times outside like these were private moments between her and Riker and to disturb them seemed oddly rude and unlike the new boy she thought she was getting to know. But little did she realize, it wasn't Rocky who led the group out there. It was Austin.

Apparently, he had heard them playing through the window and had grabbed the other two to listen in.

At least, that's what he just said to them.

But Ally just remained frozen.

"Um," she finally sputtered. "Thank you. I think."

Riker just scowled. He began to write in his notebook again and pushed it toward Ally when he was finished.

_I don't like that he or anyone was listening in. Who is to say the song wasn't personal or something like that? Why does __Jackson__ look so smug?_

Ally just sighed and got up, walking over to the others. "Do you guys mind leaving us be? This is our time to reconnect with music and it's a personal thing. I know Rocky knows that, but I don't know if you two do. I don't mean to cause any problems, or be rude. I just prefer if we were out here alone and no one listened in."

Austin seemed a little annoyed by her answer, but nodded his head. "Hey, whatever. As long as we don't see you two making out behind the tree, we're good." It was supposed to be a joke, Ally assumed, but apparently it set Riker off. He got up off the ground and stormed over to where the still beat up Austin stood. He started mouthing angry words to him, pointing a finger every few seconds as if it were to make them even scarier.

But Austin wasn't any good at reading lips. Actually, only Rydel and Ally were.

"Uh…"

Riker grew annoyed and slammed the notebook shut below him, storming off to the house.

"What was that about?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know," Ally said carefully. "But what I do know is that there is nothing between Riker and me, and maybe that's what annoyed him. You probably embarrassed him."

"I was just joking," Austin swore. "I mean, it just looks that way. I never meant to hurt anyone's feelings."

Ally smiled, touching the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Sometimes Riker just gets frustrated too because he's unable to communicate like everyone else. Music to him is very private and without meaning to, you invaded something he feels was his personal space. Don't worry. I'll talk to him and everything will be fine."

Riker wouldn't answer her when she knocked on the door to his room. Sighing, she walked inside, seeing him lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She lied down next to him, putting her arm on his and giving him a look that said 'what happened out there'? He sighed voicelessly and just shrugged.

"I'm sorry if you were embarrassed by what Austin said. He was just joking. He knows there is nothing between us."

Riker just shrugged again.

"Really. He's just had a few bad days and is on edge himself. I think he realizes now that it's our personal time and he won't interrupt again. Look, if you want to we can go to my place and we can play there for a while. No one is home right now and it would just be us."

Ally knew her parents were away on another trip, leaving the house alone once again. Riker had been there a few times, only because of ridiculous reasons. One time, he had been really, really sick with the flu and no one else wanted to catch it, so he spent the week sleeping in her bed. Of course, this resulted in Ally getting it, but it was better that the only two who had gotten it were them, instead of the group. And the other two times were to play the piano and such. Nothing too serious.

"No?" she finally asked when he didn't answer her.

He sighed and shook his head, grabbing the notebook. "I'm tired," he wrote and patted her arm. He closed his eyes before she said another word. With a defeated sigh of her own, she covered him with a blanket and left the room, now wondering what she was supposed to do with her Saturday. It wasn't like she had a ton of plans, either. Little free time left little friends, so the shelter was pretty much all she knew.

Besides, she knew Riker was still acting strange and she wanted to be around if anything else did happen.

So, she decided to find Jackson and catch up with him.

He was sitting in the office, looking through what seemed to be the police report. He smiled when Ally knocked, allowing her to enter. After staring for a few seconds more, she met his eyes as he set them down.

"What's up, Ally?"

"Just figured I'd say hi. I haven't seen you in a while. Thought maybe we'd catch up. How are you?"

He was used to Ally being like this, always wanting to help or make someone smile, so he just grinned back. "Pretty well. I mean, I just landed this job, which is nice. I get to work with some awesome kids and I mean, I hear the volunteer is pretty cool as well. But that one might be a rumor."

Ally giggled and smacked his arm. "It's good to see you again. I miss Dallas. I know he's doing what's best for him, though. He was never really happy here. He loves that football of his, I know."

"He does," Jackson agreed. "He's doing well. He should be back in a month or so, his school finishes up soon. Maybe you could meet up with him. Not a date, but just a catch up. He still talks very highly of you, Ally. I can see why. You're the only one he's dated ever that has such a good head on her shoulders. I can see you going places."

"Figuratively," she added with a smile. "Unlike him, I'm happy in Miami. But yeah, it'd be good to catch up with him. I know he's a wild one to contain, so I imagine he had a ton of fun out there."

"You have no idea," Jackson laughed. "I worried about him for a while. He was drinking and partying too much. I put it up as his way of getting into that kind of life and although it got slightly better, for a while it was still very touch and go, when it came to him doing what he should. He means well, he always has. He just needs direction and when he doesn't have it… well, you know Dallas."

Ally sighed. She did know Dallas. He happened to have a side to him that not many had seen. When he was a few years younger, he had gotten involved in some drugs and while it ended well, as you could see, it was quite scary for his family and friends. Some people were convinced he would end up dead. But he pulled through, got clean, and got into the football school of his dreams. Ally was happy for him, especially considering what he went through to get to where he was. It was part of why she wanted to get into what she was doing.

After all, Ally had been the one there the night they all thought it was over.

_"Have you seen __Dallas__?" those were the words that __Jackson__ had said to her when she opened her door for him at four in the morning._

_This alarmed her, considering she hadn't seen her boyfriend in nearly four days._

_"No," she said, allowing him to come inside. This was the start of her parents never being home, so she didn't care about the time, or worried about what they would say. "Why? Why are you here? Did something happen? Is he okay?"_

_Jackson sat down on a seat near the door, running his hands through his wavy, long hair. "No. I don't know. Ally, I know you've realized something has been up lately. He's been using pills to keep him awake at night so he could pass to play football. At least, that's how it started. I found some serious… drugs in his room before. When I asked him about them, he freaked and left the house. I thought he'd come here. Where would he go?"_

_Like __Jackson__ had mentioned, she had noticed his increasingly moody actions and his jittery composure ever since the school had told him to get his grades up, or he would have to stop playing football. While he wasn't a terrible student, he also wasn't the best. Studying hours made him what he was, but with a full schedule, it was hard to fit the time in. Ally hadn't seen her boyfriend in days for that reason, as dates were few between so he could study for exams. Still, she could tell how he acted in school that he wasn't sleeping and the dark bags under his eyes also told her something was off. And he was always shaking, jumping, as if he was on high alert. And then there was that one time he started to vomit in the middle of class, no reason at all to why. He said he was fine later that day, something he ate in his lunch. But the look on his face during that school day, told her otherwise. She was just praying she was wrong._

_Apparently not, she found._

_"What should we do?" Ally asked._

_Jackson__ sighed. "I don't know. I've driven around a lot of __Miami__. I don't know where he would go. If we don't find him soon, my parents will notice he's gone. And we'll both be screwed."_

_"Was he… high?"_

_"I think so."_

_"Oh God." Ally grabbed her keys and __Jackson__'s hand, dragging him toward her car. They didn't have to go more than a block when they saw him stumbling toward her house, his footing terrible as he walked. Ally parked the car and watched as __Jackson__ ran over. The two exchanged a look and he nailed his older brother in the face with his fist, ending the more slender man to the floor._

_Ally cried out, and watched as he stumbled her way. His face was taut and dark, but not menacing. He looked sick._

_He stared at her, his eyes looking like tears may fall. His mouth opened and before those beautiful eyes rolled back behind his head, he pleaded, "Help me, Ally. I'm sorry."_

_They got him to the hospital in the matter of a few minutes. He was whisked toward a stomach pumping machine as it was quickly noted he was suffering from an overdose on what seemed to be some type of pill. Jackson was nursing ice on his face, which was getting darker on his chin every second._

_"Jeez," she whispered. "Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should have a doctor look at that, __Jackson__."_

_"I'm fine," he whispered back, but winced. "I'm concerned about __Dallas__."_

_"He'll be fine," she said, but her voice was doubtful. After he had collapsed, he had begun to choke on his own vomit and Ally only had seconds to spring into action and tip him on his side. Since then, he had remained unconscious to the hospital where they had been sitting ever since._

_"Those with __Dallas__?"_

_Since they were shockingly the only ones in the room, the doctor had only mentioned his first name. They stood eagerly and fearfully, wondering if their loved one would be okay, or had it taken a turn for the worse._

_The doctor sighed as the two neared but placed a careful smile on her face. "I'll let you know right now, __Dallas__ will be okay. He's suffered some minor injuries from the fall and other cuts and such from an earlier point, but otherwise, he's okay there. We found high dosages of a type of upper in his system, typically used in depression patients. For those who don't need them, they cause an unusual high in someone and then a deep crash after. And that's for the normal dose. Dallas had four times that in his system, as well as a few types of over the counter pain killers and such. We pumped it out of his stomach, but he will be in here over night. He's severely dehydrated and weak. Since you're over eighteen, sir, you're able to make choices toward your brother, but we do believe it is best if you inform your parents."_

_Jackson__ just sighed. "Can we see him?"_

_"Sure. Just follow me. I remind you, he's very weak."_

_After __Dallas__ had weakly apologized for hitting his brother several times, and they shared a moment or two, Ally had been left alone with the recovering boy. She was trying to hide her anger and disappointment, but it shown through her soft features in seconds. Behind that, her fear and worry also poked through and took over. Her tears were fast and embarrassing._

_"I'm sorry," he apologized, with tears of his own. "I just wanted to do my best. I never realized what I got myself into. I'll get clean, Ally. I promise. I don't want to lose you, that was never my intention. I just wanted to pass my exams. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me. I'll go into a rehab if I have to. I don't want to lose you. Please."_

_His begging was almost embarrassing itself, but there was truth behind it. A few days after that and a few heart to hearts over their relationship (a lot of heart to hearts), Ally decided she would stay with him and __Dallas__ entered a rehab._

_He stayed in it for about two months, where he was deemed clean and was told to stay away from whatever pushed him toward it in the first place and find a nice support group. His parents hadn't been as angry as he thought they would have been, and his brother had been great as well. With added checks every few weeks or so, and the occasional reminder he didn't have to be a superhero, __Dallas__ was even able to play football that fall._

_It was a scary time, but they got through it._

Ally shuddered at the thought of that night. "I just had a few memories come back from… that night."

Jackson nodded. "I remember it clearly. We could have lost him. I'm glad we didn't."

"Me too."

The pair fell silent. "Well, now that I've made it awkward in here, would you do me a favor and check on Austin? He's supposed to be resting. He's got several pulled muscles and tendons and he was definitely over doing it before. Besides, the doctors also believe he has a slight concussion and that boy doesn't know how to sit still. I'd go myself, but he seems to like you." Jackson grinned.

Ally groaned. "Why does everyone want to pair me with someone here?"

The older man laughed. "Sorry, but it seems to be true. Don't worry, I'm only kidding. I would never put you in that position, nor would it be right for you to be in it. I just think he admires you and respects you as a friend. You're good for him, Ally. I hope you know that."


	16. Oblivious

**What a much shorter wait this time, right? Yay! I'm sorry once again for the last wait and I thank everyone for their words about the hurricane. It's going to be a long time before Long Island is right again, but it's good to know there is a lot of help coming our way.**

**Anyway, this chapter is very filled. I wanted to get a lot into it, so it does have a lot, considering how many words it is. One of my shorter chapters in a while, I hope it isn't too filled. Let me know? Haha. I just wanted this all in one. I actually had the second part in the last chapter, but I figured it would be too much. Oh well.**

**Thank you for the reviews, as always. They make me smile.**

**Another R5 song verse is in this chapter. Any guesses to which? ;) Hehe.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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Austin was lying on Rocky's bed when Ally found him, carefully strumming the instrument that she hardly had seen him without since coming back to the shelter. From the way he was sitting and the concentration on his face, you would never have known that he was even hurt the day before.

"Hey."

He looked up from his guitar and offered her a wide smile. "Hey, Ally!"

"Just checking up on you. Jackson's orders."

He snorted playfully and patted the side of her bed. "I guess I'm going to have them looking like that for a while, huh?"

"Pretty much. How are you feeling?"

"Sore, but a lot better." He shifted on the bed and rubbed a bruised spot on his arm. "I'm sorry for earlier. I don't know what I did, but I could tell it not only annoyed Riker, but it upset you. I really was just joking."

"It's okay. Like I said, Riker's a funny one to try to interpret. He's very… to himself. He only really confides in me and Rydel." She paused herself. "Maybe one more person, but I haven't really seen him take a liking to anyone else. He was… well, he's got reason to think that people may not like him, so he doesn't bother."

"That's a shame." Austin began to strum the opening chords to what seemed like a familiar song and looked her in the eye. "But in a serious sense… is he interested in you? I can't help but notice the way he looks at you." He stopped, seeing her face. "I don't mean any harm, Ally. I really think he may like you!"

Ally just laughed. "Austin, did you hit your head or something? He doesn't give me any looks. And trust me, it's just a friendship. He's like my best friend. I would never expect or want anything more."

Austin raised his eyebrows, but nodded. "Okay."

A few days passed somewhat uneventfully for the group and Ally emerged herself into her classes, hoping to pull off great grades for her final semester. This semester wasn't really that important, but she had perfect grades all other years, so why stop now?

Meanwhile, charges had been filed against Jimmy Stock and Austin was due in court for the opening part of the case. Ally could tell he was nervous about all of it, but he mainly kept to himself about it all. Other than the guitar, which was in his hands more than it was in Rocky's these days, he didn't say very much. It wasn't like he was depressed or worse but he mainly kept to himself.

All in all, everything seemed smooth for the group.

Ally had walked in that Thursday to see yet another unfamiliar adult standing in the hallway, her face lit up like a light bulb. She was clearly older, but still had a glow to her like nothing Ally had seen before. Austin was to her right and seemed to be talking to her as if he knew her and she couldn't help but think the woman seemed oddly familiar in a sense.

Austin ushered her his way and she carefully took steps toward the two blond people down the hallway. The woman seemed so happy to see her, but Ally couldn't help but get a bad feeling in her stomach. As she finally neared them, she put a fake smile on her face.

"Austin!"

"Hey," he said with a smile.

"And hello…"

For the first time in days, his wide smile faded for a moment. "Oh. Um."

"Austin?"

"Oh. This is my Aunt Stormie. Aunt Stormie, this is Ally. She's a volunteer here. She… she's been very good to me." He smiled shyly her way for a moment and a blush crept up her cheeks at this.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you, sweetheart. Austin was just telling me about you!"

"I thought you didn't have any family in the area…"

Ally felt her world spinning around her at the sight of the woman in front of her, her eyes crinkling at the sight of her apparent nephew. The woman looked so happy to see him and proud of him, in a sense. There was a sense of mother like pride in her eyes. Ally couldn't help but notice she seemed to love him a lot, just from her looks.

"I never said that," he muttered weakly. "I mean, she's not from the area."

Her stomach churned at those words.

"I'm just here visiting," Stormie said with another smile. "Actually, I have to go speak with Trish again, Austin if you two excuse me. It was very nice to meet you, Ally."

Once she was out of ear shot, Ally gave him a look of slight disbelief and concern. "Why is she here, Austin?"

"She was contacted when I was in the hospital. She's my closest next of kin."

"I understand that… but…"

"And when this all clears, she'd like to take me in," he added in a slightly sad tone.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well… um…"

"Oh, Ally, you're here!"

Jackson walked her way, an annoyed looking Ratliff walking behind him. He ducked into a room before anyone else could see him and by the time Jackson reached her, his door closed.

"Hey, Jackson. Listen…"

"I was just wondering if I could talk to you for a moment, sweetheart."

"Um… I was talking to Austin, but I mean…"

"Great! Can you meet me outside in a few minutes? I just have to drop off these papers to Trish and then we can chat. Don't worry, it's nothing bad I just need to let you know something that may interest you. And oh, hello Austin! You look even better today!"

He rushed off before Austin could even reply and the two exchanged awkward laughs. "Well, I guess we're just gonna have to continue this conversation later," Austin said awkwardly as his laugh. "I'll see you in a little while, okay?"

He too darted off.

Ally threw her hands up in the air and went to wait outside for Jackson.

"Sorry it took me a minute longer than I expected," Jackson said, his words thrown together. "Trish was introducing me to Austin's aunt. What a nice woman!"

"Yeah…"

He ignored her expression and then smiled widely. "I didn't want to tell you this in the building, as it doesn't really have anything to do with work." He looked almost giddy. "Dallas is coming home from school in two weeks!"

Ally just stared at him, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. She walked into the shelter assuming it would be a normal day just like the last few and she had already dealt with two bombshells of news in the matter of ten minutes. "Oh…"

Words weren't really helping her today.

"His school lets out a bit earlier than others and he can't wait to see you! You had to hear his reaction when I told you we were working together. He told me he misses you, Ally. Can't wait to see you. I said we should get together for lunch or something and he couldn't wait!"

Ally forced a weak smile. "That's awesome." It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see Dallas, it was just so much was going on and she could barely focus, let alone worry about her ex coming to visit her right now. "I mean, really. But hey, listen I have to get inside. I promised Riker we'd work on his song again… you know, this time alone."

"Oh! Yeah, sure! I'll see you later, then!"

"And I mean, I don't know what the hell is going on, Riker." Ally was sitting on his bed, clutching his pillow around her waist while she explained the events that happened as she walked in that day. He was leaning against the bed, strumming the guitar as he listened. "I don't want to lose Austin to one of his relatives! I know I don't have much of a choice, but why didn't he even mention her? Like… I don't know. He didn't seem to not like her, but I can just picture him happier here. I've seen such an improvement in him already and he's made such good friends with Rocky. Does that make me terrible? I mean, I barely know him and I have no right to think I have more leverage over him than someone who is related to him and cares about him."

Riker patted her leg and offered a sad smile. "I'm sorry," he mouthed. "What about your ex?"

"Don't remind me," she groaned. "I can't deal with all of this."

"I mean, I can barely deal with Austin!"

_Don't worry about him. Just think about something else. I mean, I can entertain you, if you'd like. It's not like I have anything else to do._

"I just feel bad, you know? I just wish there was an easy answer for stuff like this. Life has enough stupid little problems and another big one really found a good time to come."

_Maybe it's just out of your hands. Besides, I'm sure he knows you care. But hey, there is other things happening right now other than __Austin__!_

"I guess so." Riker motioned to his guitar. "Play me something nice, please?"

He broke into an upbeat song, his fingers moving a mile a minute on the old guitar of his. The way he concentrated while playing was beautiful and you could tell he absolutely loved what the guitar did for him. Ally often wondered what his mind would be like without it. He didn't have much else for creativity… his guitar was pretty much it.

"So, is Say You'll Stay complete now?"

_Yes_, he wrote down on a piece of paper.

Ally grinned. "I'm glad. It's really catchy, Riker. I love it." She changed her grin from just happy to slightly playful. "Is it about anyone?"

His eyes seemed shocked for a moment but they quickly faded back into the quiet content that was average for him.

_No_, he wrote. _Just something that came to me._

"It's really good," she reminded him.

"Thanks," he mouthed.

He seemed so content with whatever was on his mind. Ally loved that Riker.

"I love songs like that. It's so adorable when someone likes someone, but they have no idea." She snorted, remembering what Jackson said to her a few days ago. "You know, Jackson thinks Austin likes me. I mean, that's really nice and all, but I work here so it's not really professional. Besides, it's not really the best time for him to be…"

Before she had a chance to finish, Riker was somewhat forcefully writing on the piece of paper and he shoved it her way. It floated through the air until it landed on her lap, almost perfectly. She marveled at that until she realized she was supposed to read it.

_Do we have to talk about __Austin__ all the time?_

"Uh… no. I'm sorry. I'm just concerned. What do you want to talk about?"

"Nothing," he mouthed. "I'd prefer silence, if you don't mind."

"Sure," she said casually, figuring he was just in one of his moods. Riker had moments like that when he just wanted silence. She always found it odd, considering all that was him was practically silent. If it were her, she would want noise all the time. Then again, that would get pretty annoying too.

"I'll just stay quiet, I guess." Surprised one of these moods came on so quickly, she began to busy herself by cleaning up his room. Riker was still playing behind her, his strumming sounding a lot more intense then before. Humming as she cleaned, something crashed behind her. Riker stood up and tossed another note her way.

_Can I actually just be alone?_

Ally nodded. Well, that definitely escalated quickly. "I'll just go see what everyone else is doing, okay?"

He waved his hand and went back to playing his guitar, something else now the riff. He started to write down more words and she briefly caught a glimpse of a few new lyrics.

_You've got them all hypnotized_

_Dragging them round by the eyes_

_They're lined up shoulder to shoulder_

_Like dominos you keep knocking 'em over_

Ally soon found Rocky and Ratliff sitting in the rec area, also looking at a guitar. "Does everyone here play a guitar or am I just going crazy?" she asked with a smile.

Rocky rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

"I'm only playing with you."

"I know. Hey, guess what Ratliff can do?"

"What?"

Ratliff pulled out a set of what appeared to be drum sticks and began to play a soft beat on the table. "I play the drums," he said simply. "Well, I did. I haven't in a long time. But we were talking and he mentioned how him and Austin were thinking of doing a few covers and I thought, maybe I could try and see if I still had the talent? I mean, not that I wanted to join in."

This was the most Ratliff had ever said to her and she couldn't help but be surprised. "Wow. That's awesome."

And suddenly, Rydel appeared. "Fine, don't tell them about me!"

"Sorry," Rocky said, rolling his eyes as he pressed his lips together. "And Rydel sings, but we all know that already because she's loud as hell in the shower!"

Her face flushed but the smile remained.

"I didn't say you weren't good," the laughing boy added.

"Thank you," she also laughed.

"You guys do realize something, don't you?"

"What?"

"We could have a band!"

"A band?" Ratliff looked a bit concerned at this… probably because he wasn't really friends with any of them and a casual jam session had just turned into a long term commitment and more conversations with Rydel, which for anyone who didn't interact with her on a daily basis, was brutal. "I don't know."

"Why not?" Rydel gushed. "Think about it. We have you, me, Rocky, Austin, and maybe if we beg and plead, Riker! And I've heard that Ally sings, too!"

"I'm not singing," Ally said before anyone else could talk. "So, no."

Rydel rolled her eyes, patting her on the shoulder. "But think about it! Do you not see what we could do? I heard Austin singing earlier and he was really good. Between me and him, we could do some vocals and you could play the guitar, Rocky. Austin could do guitar back up and Ratliff, the drums. Don't act like the idea of a band doesn't excite you!"

"It's not the band that doesn't excite me," he mumbled but Rydel didn't hear that.

"I mean, really! We could do so much with it!" She jumped down to where Rocky was sitting and began to plead with her hands. "Please, Rocky! Think about it! I know Austin will say yes. He practically lives music and … please?! Just please. I want to do it. And I bet Riker will say yes if Ally and me ask him!"

"I'll think about it," Rocky muttered. "But please just shut up, would you?"

She pouted but took this as an answer. A few minutes later and dinner was called. Ally's head spun. What a day.


	17. Tension

**I'm updating again! Woo! I was really excited to write this chapter, as it really just happened to come to me right before I wrote it. I was trying to do something with Ratliff's character, but I didn't want to make it seem like it couldn't happen. As for the story itself, I'll let it explain itself.**

**Thank you to those who I can't reply to on the reviews. One of you, seriously made my day. I REALLY appreciating hearing what you told me. Your review made me giggle like a fangirl in public. Congrats! Haha.**

**Anyway, the next few chapters are some of my favorites.**

**Thank you for the reviews as always!**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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Days once again passed at a rate that surprised everyone. Rydel had been pushing the formation of a band, but with their lives also busy with school work and just everyday life, no one got anywhere with it. The weekend came, allowing a few hours to breathe and Ally could hear the group in the rec area, talking over what they could actually put together.

"I mean, we definitely have a guitarist and a lead singer. Austin said he'd loved to do a band type deal, even though he's not here right now." Austin was with Trish, who had taken him to the police station for a follow up interview. This left rest of the group with Jackson and Ally, who were both observing from a distance. "And then we have Rydel who could do backup vocals and keyboard if we can find one to actually use."

"Maybe online?" Rydel asked hopefully.

Rocky nodded his head.

Rydel had once loved to play keyboard, but had given it up after her own accident. It took a long time for her to be comfortable in her own skin and while many of what she loved to do had come back to her, this was one of the things that had not.

"And Ratliff," Rocky added, looking over to the boy who was sitting in the corner, still wondering how he got roped into this mess. "Obviously you can play the drums. Come on man, it'll be awesome."

"I'm starting to doubt you're the same person," he mumbled back.

Rocky rolled his eyes, and figured he'd give in eventually. Ally could see him eyeing the boy though, probably wondering why he was even more negative than he was.

As if on cue, he asked, "What's your story, man?"

"My story?"

He motioned around him, pointing at Rydel and himself. "You know, why you're here."

"Why does it matter?" he shot back, his voice going on edge. "You've never told anyone here _your_ story, so why should I tell you _mine_?"

"Hey, I was just asking."

Ratliff snickered and got up. "I'll be in my room."

"Asshole," Rocky muttered.

"Rocky," Ally warned from the next room. "Watch it."

Ally knew general details of Ratliff's past but also remembered a lot of it was uncertain. He had come to the shelter not all that long ago, addicted to several types of drugs. After going through a type of rehab, he ended up staying in the shelter. At first, he said nothing. Not that he was mute like Riker, but he didn't trust anyone, especially not Ally. Her generally happy smile and all over 'let's chat' vibe drove him nuts.

Besides, being a recovering drug addict meant he had another load of problems that some of the others didn't have. There was his background and then there were his current faces. Unlike Riker and Rydel, who were generally happy these days, he often fought the urge to leave the place and find someone to sell him something. And then he would remember what got him into that mess in the first place and he would end up staying, still hating everything about the place.

It had decreased over time, but he still seemed angry, anxious and generally unsocial compared to the rest of them. In an odd sense, he had enjoyed Rocky's company for that reason. That was, until they pissed each other off and then you had a war on your hands.

Now though, with Rocky suddenly seeming friendlier toward some of the others, Ratliff seemed to be alone again.

As the door slammed to his room, Ally sighed and looked down the hallway.

She considered going after him, weighing her options of what might happen. More than likely, he'd yell at her and tell her to leave him alone, or there could be a miracle that day and he'd start to vent and hopefully tell her everything. She had to laugh a bit … like that was going to happen. At least, it wouldn't for a while. Rocky's story had slipped on accident and she wasn't really supposed to know it. Ratliff? Would probably guard it until the same thing happened, or he was forced to tell someone.

She walked slowly toward where Jackson was talking with Oliver and Jade and motioned for him to follow her.

"Ratliff's… being Ratliff," Ally explained when he stood and followed her. "I think he's fine, but I just wanted to let you know in case you notice anything off. I know you had plans to talk to him today."

He nodded. "Thanks, Ally. I've noticed he's very secluded compared to the others."

"You have no idea."

"Well, I'll take that into consideration for when I go in there. Is everything else okay?"

"As far as I can tell."

He thanked her once more and she walked into where the others were, noting they had grabbed the guitar since she left and Rocky was now quietly strumming it in front of Rydel. Riker was eyeing him with either jealousy or annoyance, possibly both.

Just as Ally was about to interrupt, Austin walked into the room with Trish, a slight smile on his face. The blond boy immediately went over to Rocky and started to talk music, leaving her to stare at the group with a bit of her own boredom. She glanced briefly at Riker who turned his head, looking at the wall.

"Hello, Ally!"

"Hey, Trish."

Trish smiled warmly, pulling the young volunteer aside. "I just wanted to let you know that the case is looking very good for Austin. One of his neighbors was brought in as a witness and was willing to give a statement about the noises he's heard in the house over the last few months. With Austin's statement and old injuries, and this new statement from the neighbor, Jimmy is looking very bad off at the moment."

"Where is he now?"

"Still in the jail cell," she said with a smirk. "Apparently, no one wants to post his bail. What a shame."

Ally too giggled as the older woman snickered. "Okay, so what do you want me to do? It's still early and I'm pretty free rest of the day. The group seems to want to form themselves a band and don't really need me hanging out with them. They said if I don't join in, I'm not allowed to listen to their band talk." Ally folded her arms and rolled her eyes, but still shared a smile. "Rydel's words. I think she'll cave when she realizes that the boys are going to out number her."

"I think she will too." Trish's eyes wandered to Riker. "Is Riker okay?"

Ally sighed, too glancing over his way, to see he was peeking at them. Her smile widened, in hopes that he'd return it, but his expression remained stoic, almost cold even. "I don't know. He was acting strangely the other day. I've seen him get like this before, so I didn't think much of it. When it happened before, Marie would tell me to let him be and give him space. I've done that, but it hasn't done much of anything."

"Ally, I hate to tell you this but Marie doesn't always give the best advice. I'm not saying you should go over there and demand he talks to you, but when he's wearing an expression like that, something is obviously wrong. I know he's a bit hard to make talk, but I'm sure there is something that could be done."

"I can try," Ally agreed.

The more she thought about what she had done, the more terrible she felt.

Making her way over to where he was sitting, she positioned herself between the wall and Riker. "Hey."

He nodded.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded again, his eyes not meeting hers.

Slowly, it dawned on Ally.

"You're mad at me."

He shook his head.

"Riker."

He didn't answer.

"Come on, talk to me."

Nothing.

"Riker, that's not fair. I can't exactly know what I did wrong, if you ignore me. Can you please just talk to me? And don't give me a look, either. Come on; let's go somewhere where there isn't anyone around." He made no movement toward anything but instead continued to glare at the wall. "Okay, fine. I'm sorry for whatever I did. I can't apologize honestly, because I'm not sure what I did, but I know that I am sorry. You're way too happy of a person to be staring at a wall, Riker. I'm sorry. If you want to talk, I'll be here."

Ally stood up and walked away, shaking her head at Trish as she did so. Well, that settled something. Riker was mad at her. For what? She wasn't exactly sure.

"Riker!"

From the very corner of the room, Riker's eyes popped up at the sound of his voice. Rydel was giggling and clapping her hands, as the group continued to discuss the idea of a band.

"What about you, Riker?"

He pointed to himself.

"Yes you," Rydel giggled.

"What about me?" he mouthed.

"You play both the bass and the guitar," Rocky said. "I remember seeing that old bass of yours. We already have a guitar player, but it'd be awesome if you played the bass for us."

He shook his head, as if to say he didn't want to.

"Come on, Riker!" Rydel nearly yelled. "It'll be fun. You love music. We all know you do. Stop pretending you don't play that guitar of yours all the time. Show someone other than Ally that you love music as much as you do."

His eyes darkened for a moment at the mention of his friend and then a slight smirk played on his lips. Once again, another emotion swept through and he shook his head once more, getting up this time. He flew past the small brunette girl who was secretly listening, down the hallway, into his room. He must have grabbed his guitar because before she had a second to react, he was back out of the room, an object in hand, as he rushed out of the shelter doors.

"He sure does move," Austin said.

Ally felt useless as the day continued. No one needed her… Riker had disappeared into the backyard, but no sounds could be heard. He was sitting over his notebook, writing quickly and somewhat excitedly. Ally had decided to stay in her room and watch him from afar, considering there was a perfect view from the window.

That was, until she heard shouting, a few loud slams and the sound of shattering glass. It took only seconds for Trish to react as well, and the two flew down the hallway to where the sounds had come from. Ratliff's room.

"Is Jackson inside of there?" Trish asked in alarm. She pushed on the door. It didn't budge. With no lock on that door, something must have been blocking it. Another slam shook the walls and Ally stared with concern at her boss, who was starting to frantically bang on the door in demands that someone open it.

"I can't get it to open!" Trish said, momentarily panicking.

From the corner of her eye, Ally saw Riker hovering behind her. He was sitting back though, watching the entire ordeal from the safety of another room. Apparently, he had come back inside when he heard the noise. "I can't get it open," Trish said again, her voice rising once more. With a swift move, she began to search for a phone. "I need to call for help."

The sound of splitting wood made everyone jump and their bodies turned like lightening at the source. Austin was now leaning against the wall, holding his shoulder in pain. But the door ledge had cracked and if you pulled from the other side of it, you could get it off.

"Look out," Trish said and if you didn't know her, you would have laughed. For such a small woman, she had the personality of someone nearly twice her size.

With the help of Austin, despite Trish's attempts to keep him away, the door fell back, exposing a destroyed room. Jackson was in the corner, clutching his head which was bleeding somewhat heavily. The window, barely big enough to fit Ratliff, was blowing open and had blood smeared on the ledge. Trish cursed in another language and ran forward. "Jackson?"

"It's not his fault," he mumbled in pain. "I pushed him too hard. It's not his fault…"

"Ally, call for help."

Ally stood back in shock and momentarily forgot how to use a phone. Austin, who was still standing back behind her, began to shake. After remembering how to use her phone, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled pathetically. "I'm… just… flashback."

"You're safe," she said quietly. "That's all it is, is a flashback. Okay?"

He nodded, but darted backwards, away from the complete destruction that was Ratliff's room. Glass from the window was shattered everywhere, as well as several books and papers. His bed, now cracked down the middle, had a small blood stain near the edge of it.

"What happened?" she wondered.

Jackson groaned, as Trish helped him into a chair. "I pushed the wrong buttons."

"This is not okay," the other woman answered. "Take it easy, Jackson. Don't push yourself."

"I'm fine," he grumbled, but nearly collapsed when he tried to push off her. "It's … just a small cut."

"You're going to the hospital," she snapped but not in a bad tone, but more maternally. "And … someone has to go look for Ratliff." Trish sighed, looking around her. Still understaffed, she pointed a finger at Ally. "You're going to ride with Jackson and make sure he doesn't hop the ambulance on the way. I'm going to call my job and see if they can send someone over here to watch the group while you do that. And after that, I'm going looking for Ratliff. Before someone else finds him, or he hurts himself."

"I didn't hit him," Jackson mumbled, closing his eyes. "All I did was try to calm him down. He… nothing was intentional. There… was a lot of movement. He blocked the door with a chair. I… he's stronger than he looks."

Ally bit down on her lip, afraid to ask the question on her mind. While Ratliff wasn't that small, he wasn't very big either. "Do you think he's using again?"

Trish glared at her. "Let's hope not, for his sake and ours."


	18. Talent

**Okay, so how awesome am I updating three days in a row? I'm hoping to make it four! Hehe. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm also really happy how this one turned out. A lot of things with Riker and Ally are being left out, as they will be explained later on in the story. I'm saying that now, before anyone has questions later after the chapter. Also, just because things seem okay in the story, doesn't mean they are.**

**As for this chapter... I love the ending, hehe. I also love Jackson and Ally's relationship and I can't wait to bring Dallas into the story.**

**Also, for all you wonderful readers. What do you think of Jackson? Would you like him to become even more involved? Whats your opinion on the whole Dallas thing? Who is your favorite character? Who do you feel has the worst past? Reminders. Rydel was severely burned in a house fire losing her parents. Riker lost his parents and his voice in a car accident. Rocky was abused all his life before running far away and finding the shelter. And most of you should know Austin's story. Ratliff, drugs. And we haven't gotten into Ratliff's story yet at all. Who is your favorite female character? Who is your least favorite character? Favorite moment in the story so far?**

**I'd like to know. :)**

**Any songs you'd like to see in the story?**

**Okay, shutting up now.**

**You guys are awesome. Shout out to Carly, whose name I can't put into the chapter because it has periods like mine and it deletes it. She knows why she's awesome.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally had decided it would be better to follow after the ambulance with her car, considering she would have no other way to leave otherwise. It had arrived moments ago, just in time for the group to become wide eyed and realize something was really wrong. Despite Jackson's continued rants that he was fine, in he was loaded and Ally was following after the large car until it reached MiamiHospital. She'd been here too many times in a few weeks, she realized.

Jackson was whisked away, down a hallway to be treated for the severely deep cut on his head. It left her mind to wander to what had happened and it followed through to the question she had asked Trish. Was he using again? He didn't seem like he was. Ratliff was moody like many of them were, but drugs were different from that kind of mood. Moods from drugs were much more… swift. They changed a lot, at least from her knowledge.

It took her a minute to go through the last few weeks in her head, wondering if there was anything that had changed about the boy. From what she thought of, nothing was of the sort. But he did go to school and see many other people, all of which could help him try new drugs and even what he was on before.

Ally desperately hoped that Trish would find him before someone else did. From the looks of it, neither Trish nor Jackson wanted to involve the authorities at this point and probably hoped to solve it from the inside. It was hard to do that though when the boy was missing.

"I'm looking for an Ally Dawson?" a nurse asked, her voice rising slightly over the crowded ER.

"That's me," she said, walking over to where the woman stood.

"Jackson asked me to come get you," she explained, motioning for her to follow through a set of doors.

Jackson was sitting on a bed just beyond them, not looking very pleased. Another nurse was putting stitches into his head and from the count already, there were at least four. Small cut, sure Jackson.

"Hey," she said, sitting down next to him. "Good thing you have a hard head, huh?"

He laughed softly, wincing as the woman finished her job.

"You should be okay now. We're going to run a couple tests just in case, so don't leave just yet." She eyed Ally. "He's got a concussion. Don't let him do anything crazy."

Ally sighed when the woman left, glaring at the man next to her. "And you didn't want to come here."

"I'm fine," he insisted. "I've done worse playing football with Dallas."

"Jackson, what happened?"

"I can't tell you what we talked about," he said, mentioning how that was protected by the laws of the state. "But I definitely pushed buttons he wasn't ready to talk of yet. I told him he needed to calm down and if he'd like, we could stop talking. He said he didn't expect me to understand and I tried to bring up Dallas, but he continued to get angry. He came towards me, fists raised. I tried to grab a hold of his arms, but well, he's faster. He pushed me back and then punched me, slamming me into the wall. I tried once again to get him to calm down but then we collided with the window and that's when I cracked my head." He breathed in deeply, obviously trying to mask the pain he was in. "So I tried this time to grab him another way, from behind and we fell backwards onto the bed, cracking it. And then Austin broke down the door… oh God, did anyone check on Austin?"

Ally cursed herself. She was so overwhelmed with the entire situation and his flashback; she had forgotten he had broken the door down in front of them.

"No…"

"I'll have to check on him when we get back to the shelter."

"Jackson, you need to rest. I'm dropping you off at home and I'll do that. I'm sure that everything will be okay at that point."

"I don't want him in trouble," he added after a moment. "He was only doing what he knows. I don't know what his background truly is, but from the looks of it, it wasn't pleasant. I don't think he's using though."

"What makes you say that?"

"It wasn't that kind of aggression."

"But doesn't that depend on the drug he was using?" Ally thought back to the class she had taken on drugs and their types of reactions on the body. "If it was say, LSD it would be a lot different from some other forms of drugs. Acid is more of a hallucinogenic drug than a superhero type drug. I mean, he could have been hallucinating, or he could have just been on some type of downers. Or anything. There are so many types!"

"Ally, I've had a bit more hands on experiences when drug addicts than you have. You're going off what you've learned. I'm going off experiences. I'm telling you, it was just pure anger. That's all. Of course, it would be best if we did have him tested to be sure, but from my experience… no."

Ally sighed, a little relief from his words given to her. But why did he get so angry?

The nurse came back in then and asked for Jackson to follow her to another room. Saying it would only be a minute; Ally sat back and let her mind wander.

A few minutes passed and Jackson walked back in, holding a bottle of painkillers and rolling his eyes as the woman told him once again, not to do anything crazy.

"It's barely a concussion," he muttered when they left the room. "I've dealt with worse. I'll be fine."

"Is anyone at your house? I don't want to leave you there."

"I'll be fine, Ally."

"I'll stay with you for a few hours, just to make sure," she argued as they made it to her car. He gave her a look but too smiled, knowing he wouldn't win a fight like that with her. Instead, he eased himself into her car, suddenly aware of how sore his body really was.

"Fine, but you better not play nurse with me, Dawson."

She giggled and pulled out of the parking lot.

Hours passed and after making sure Jackson would be fine and if anything bad were to happen, she'd be the first one he'd call, Ally left and went back towards the shelter. The sun was finally starting to set and it was well near dinner time at that point, and her mind went back to Trish and her fight to find Ratliff.

Her car was parked out front of the shelter when she pulled up and Ally prayed this was a good sign. Parking her own she got out and walked inside, listening for familiar voices and sounds. Hearing Rydel giggling with Riker in the next room, she took this as another good sign. Rocky was sitting in his room with Austin, both of them sitting over a music sheet. Rocky had been writing when she walked in, while the blond had been mumbling about wishing he could write music.

"Hey, guys."

"Oh!" Austin said. "You're back. How's Jackson?"

"He's fine. He's resting. How are you? I totally forgot for a second that you slammed your shoulder into the door."

"I'm fine," he laughed with an honest smile. "Rydel got me some ice earlier and I've been making sure it feels alright. Other than it being a bit sore, there isn't really any other major pain."

"Promise?" she asked him. "I don't want to take another trip to the hospital tonight."

"Honestly," he swore. "I'm sore all over, but it's so much better than it was. I would tell you, Ally. Really."

"Good," she said, pleased with his answer. From the look in his eyes, he was telling the truth. "Is Trish here?"

Rocky nodded. "She got back an hour ago. Thank God. The person who was left in charge looked like they had never been outside before."

Ally chuckled at his answer, tempted to ask if Ratliff was with her. But it wasn't their place to give that answer and she excused herself and went after her boss. Trish was sitting in the office when she found her, her face not exactly calm but not overly panicked like earlier.

"Trish?"

"Ally!" Trish's face lit up in both alarm and relief. "Jackson?"

"He's fine. Concussion and a few stitches. I stayed with him for a while just to make sure. He got annoyed with me babying him though so I left, making sure he promised to call me if he felt anything was wrong. I figured you didn't want him back here today anyway."

"No," she agreed. "He needs to rest."

As the woman went silent, Ally bit down on her lip. She didn't want to press for the news on Ratliff, but she couldn't exactly not know what had happened, either. "Trish?"

The woman looked up again. "Yes?"

"Where is Ratliff?"

Her eyes darted down the hallway towards his room, and Ally noted the door was still where Austin and left it. With no lights on in the actual room, her stomach sank. "Don't worry, he is here. I did find him. I'm bringing him to the doctor in the morning. While he wasn't injured like Jackson was, I'm starting to think he may be depressed. I don't have the authority to make any decision on that myself currently, so we're gonna head that way in the morning. It's that's the case; he'll more than likely talk to another person, other than Jackson for obvious reasons. The state wants me to hire a few more people here, anyway. Maybe he could relate with someone better."

Ally thought if anyone he could relate to, it would be either Jackson or even herself. Both of them had dealt with drugs in the past in a sense and understood to an extent what he had been through. Maybe not firsthand, but she could definitely agree that Jackson knew much of what went on in stuff like that. But she didn't tell Trish this, but simply nodded instead.

"Sounds good. Is he… well… what happened?"

"He didn't get far," Trish commented with a slight smile. "He was wandering just down the street. He was very upset with himself, to my surprise and thought he would be arrested. From what Jackson said to me in those few minutes, he obviously isn't going to press charges. I tried to explain to him that no one was looking to take him away. I think that's part of why he ran. I left him be for a little bit. He's currently resting in your room. I figured it was better to put him there, than put him back in that mess. I'm going to check on him in a few minutes. I'm worried, I won't lie to you. He went from very angry to very upset in a short period of time. Very different from what I've seen of him."

"Sounds different to what I've seen too. Jackson doesn't think he's using."

"I agree with that." Trish sighed for a moment and then looked back up. "I think he was considering it. He looked very much ready to snap. I think what happened either woke him up, or he was about to go look for a place to get high. I'm not sure what his drug of choice was, but it's not hard to find anything here in Miami."

"Maybe you found him at the right time."

Trish smiled lightly. "Maybe. I ordered some pizza for dinner tonight. I figure the kids need it and that way, it's a light dinner and a simple clean up."

"Sounds good. Should I tell everyone?"

"They know. It should be here soon. I'm going to check on Ratliff. I'd rather do it alone, as I'm not sure what state he's in still. If I need you, I'll let you know."

Ally dismissed herself as Trish went down the hallway. She walked past Oliver and Jade's rooms, noticing they didn't seem to care much about what had happened. Rocky and Austin were playing rockstar still and seemed quite content doing so. Ally smiled at this. The two were so good for each other. But where was Riker? Ally sighed and went all the way down to where he lived, noticing the door was open. He too had his guitar out and was playing softly.

"Hey."

He looked up.

"Mind if I come in?"

He shrugged.

"I'm not looking to talk." Ally nodded. "I'm just looking for a place to hang out until dinner arrives. I hope you don't mind."

He didn't say anything and continued his song. It was a rock beat, very soft though and very much well written. Ally marveled at his talents, enjoying his company without him even realizing so. He was so engrossed in his guitar; the world around him didn't exist. And while Ally listened, it didn't for her either.

A note flying her way woke her from her moment of daze.

_I'm sorry for ignoring you. I don't want to talk about it, but I'm sorry._

Ally looked up with a smile. "Don't worry about it. Now, are you going to tell me what you're writing?"

He smiled shyly. "No," he mouthed.

"Okay, okay," she laughed, giggling at his expression. "Promise me something though. I overheard you being asked to join the band. You don't have to do it, but maybe you should. Riker, you're talented as hell. It's about time someone else heard you play."

He stared at her, his eyes going through several emotions at what she said to him. He opened his mouth, then closed it and went to his paper to write something. His fingers trembled as he wrote the note and then carefully passed it to her. _I'll think about it, Ally. But the songs I've written since I've started to play again are special to me. They're personal, in a sense. I like too that we have the guitar sessions alone though. I'd miss that._

"Who says they have to end?" Ally patted her side of the bed, motioning for him to join her. "No one says you have to play those songs, or even play any songs you've written. Whoever they're about doesn't have to know and there will always be time for us to just play together. Sure, others would be able to hear you play, but we'll still have our special moments. I promise you that won't change. I'm really happy you believe that I'm special enough to hear you play, but I'm not the only one who deserves to hear you. Talent shouldn't be wasted when it's as good as yours. Like I said, I'm not saying you have to, but just think about how awesome it would be to be in a band. You'd be a rockstar."

He laughed to himself. "I guess so," he mouthed. "Maybe I will."

"I'll be your biggest fan," she giggled.

Riker's eyes lit up with a smile. "You already are."


	19. Love

**Four days! Go me! Okay, this will probably be the last daily update for a couple weeks. I'll update a few times a week, but I can't promise how often it will honestly be. I'm trying my best but the holidays are coming and that means I'll be working a lot.**

**Not gonna lie, from the reviews of the last two chapters, it doesn't seem like anyone seems to really enjoy Ratliff's character very much. Either that, or I update at too weird of times and no one saw the chapters. What do you think of his character? I'm obviously still going to keep it going as I was, but I would like to know if he's not enjoyable. Well, enjoyable isn't the word, but I would like to know if he seems like an interesting character.**

**Auslly shippers, rejoice. There is some love for you guys here.**

**Thank you for the reviews and the wonderful words you always give me. I don't deserve so many wonderful comments as I get, but I love them so much.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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Ally had received a text from Trish the next morning, one that had accidentally woken her up earlier than she had wanted to be. It had simply read, _just got back from the clinic I mentioned yesterday. Good progress with Ratliff. The state also hired two new counselors for the shelter. I'm meeting with them now, as Ratliff talks to someone. I'll let you know more. See you later._

She yawned as she tumbled out of bed. Her mind was almost numb from the lack of sleep from the night before. Just before she had left the shelter that night, Ratliff had stumbled out of his room to take a shower. This normally would have been met with a smile and have a good night but the look he had given her was one of nightmares. His eyes were so dark and just full of agony that Ally had gasped right in front of him. She had covered her mouth and felt tears stabbing at the corners of her eyes.

He had just continued to stare at her as if she wasn't even there before he turned and walked the other way.

Ally knew he was in a lot of pain but there was a difference in the pain she was used to seeing him in and the pain that had just met her in the face. It was beyond anything she had ever seen before and it pretty much held onto her the entire night. She tossed, turned, and simply stared at the ceiling more than she ever had.

When had they missed that?

Focusing on showering and starting her day despite of this, her mind continued to travel with the shelter. It never left there, if she was honest. Somehow, they all roped her in, in such a way she had never experienced. Austin had a court appearance later that day; he was going with his Aunt much to Trish's relief. Rocky had plans on continuing his ideas for the band with Rydel later after school. And Riker? No one really knew what he did until he did it. But he was never one to worry much about.

_Dallas__ is on his way home!_Jackson's text made her want to slam her head into the wall and she outwardly groaned while she read it. She was happy to see her former boyfriend, she honestly was but the boy couldn't have worse timing. She drove to the shelter, hoping somehow she could avoid him until at least some of this mess cleared.

With Jackson ordered to take the day off from Trish, the shelter seemed oddly void of many adults when she entered. The door to Trish's office was open to her surprise and she walked that way, eager to know more about the woman's morning with Ratliff and the new employees who would be working with them.

It didn't seem like anyone else was home yet, besides Ratliff and from the sounds down the hallway, Riker.

Trish was on her laptop when she entered, her eyes tired and her body mirroring this.

"How did it go this morning?"

Trish looked up at the sound of the volunteer's voice. "Oh, hey Ally. It went pretty well, considering everything I'd say. I was talking to a few people at the clinic and they believe they could be of use to us. I talked with my boss earlier and she's looking into pairing us with them as a complete unit."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that the group would go there once a week or so, individual needs possibly more or less. A group therapy session was recommended and now that I'm more familiar with everyone and see how the others react, I definitely do agree this would be helpful. Not only for each person here, but for the group as a whole. It also means that we would have their counselors coming here, to speak with each of them, to see what they might need. This also depends on who we're talking about. Obviously, say Oliver's needs differ much from what Austin would need."

"What about the two people you mentioned earlier?"

Ally liked what she was hearing. It lifted heavy loads off of both Trish and Jackson who were obviously struggling with what was placed on them. And her, as well. Because as much as she wasn't here for the same reasons they were, she also dealt with the effects of whatever happened to the group. In a sense, she was closer to them than anyone else who worked here because she was their age.

"They seem to be a nice fit for us. I'm allowing the state to make the choices here, as it's still really not my place, but it seems like they will start in a few days. I like them. They're very friendly but have also seen enough to know a bit more than Jackson would. I like him too, but he's much younger than most in his profession."

"Okay. Sounds good. What are the plans for today?"

Trish smiled gleefully. "Well, I hope you don't mind loud music."

"Um…"

She motioned for her to follow and they ended up in the rec room. Ally gasped at the sight in front of her. There were brand new guitars, a keyboard, and a set of drums in front of her. She knew her music and these were top of the line, absolutely beautiful objects that were sitting a few feet away.

"What is this?"

"I know the guys want to start a band. I know too that both Riker and Rocky have their own guitars, but I think it would help Austin a lot if he was able to just play his own, instead of taking Rocky's when he wants to play. And I know I've been hearing Rydel a lot too, and I understand she plays the keyboard. And… well, the drum set is a hope and prayer that Ratliff will find some kind of happiness in all of this."

A soft, gentle voice broke from behind them, "That's for me?"

Ratliff was standing there, still looking terrible but there was a slight smile on his face. His eyes were lit up as he glanced over it, possibly too afraid to step forward.

"Yes, it is."

Ally pulled her aside. "Where did these come from?!"

"I might have pulled some strings with the state," she answered with a chuckle. "It doesn't matter though. They are here and I think they're going to be a big help, if you ask me."

Ratliff carefully stepped forward in front of them, his eyes darting every few seconds as if someone was going to tackle him. His footing continued until he reached and slid behind it, gently sitting down. Ally could see him trembling as he touched it, his darkened eyes closing at the moment he grasped the sticks.

This was a special moment for Ally, because there was some sort of peace in the air, if only for a second.

From the moment his eyes snapped open though, she knew it wasn't the first time they would see him play. He put down the sticks and stood back up; looking back as he walked back toward his room as if he was making sure it was still there. Another soft reply escaped him, "Thank you."

Trish patted him on the back, which made him flinch and once again, he left them alone.

"That was odd."

"Yes, it was," Trish agreed. "I don't think he wants to play in front of anyone."

Ally just stared at the room, her mind racing at all of this. Nothing bad could really come of this. Never before had she noticed how much of the shelter loved music and once everyone realized what they could do with it, she saw a perfect way to not only heal but to form a better friendship between those who lived here. Sure, there would be fights and maybe other problems here and there, but this was huge in her eyes. This could change things.

The reactions later on that day confirmed what she was already thinking. The entire music loving group was all over their new instruments, each of them treasuring them like they were gold. In their eyes, as much of their lives had been either spent like hell or here where much wasn't given out, this was gold.

"Oh my God," Rydel squealed. "I don't know what to say! I'm in love. Thank you so much!"

Austin was just treasuring his guitar in his hands, his eyes never leaving the strings as they quietly tested the new object in front of him. His eyes were something Ally would love to see every day; pure joy.

Trish eyed her young volunteer with proud eyes of her own, enjoying the looks on their faces. Riker was sitting in the corner, clutching his own beautiful guitar like it was now an antique that no one else could touch. A picture floated into her mind that made her giggle. Riker probably assumed if he joined the band, he would have to share his baby. Now he didn't have to.

Rocky couldn't help but study all the new objects around him. He was definitely one of those who loved the beauty behind music, the way the different sounds came together and pieced into one beautiful song.

The four were in musical heaven.

"Great job," Ally told her boss, smiling widely at her.

Eventually, the group thinned out, taking their presents with them and leaving the rec room void of people. Ally was sitting in the kitchen area, enjoying a book she had bought a few days before, when she heard shuffling in there. Her ears perked at the noise but she made no effort to move yet. Last she had heard the kids were all in their rooms. Trish had stepped out to provide dinner and no one else was there, other than some state person in the office who didn't seem all that concerned about anyone.

And then she heard it. A careful beat tapped through the air. It was soft and timid, much like the player who was powering it. Ally put down her book and listened as he experimented with the drums, testing each one for their uses and a reminder for himself. It didn't last more than a minute, but it was enough to only heighten Ally's already good mood.

_Progress_.

She stood, following the sound of shuffling feet until they were face to face. He didn't make any effort to move, but he didn't seem all that happy to see her, either. Ally chose her words carefully in her head; attempting to do nothing more but put the boy at ease.

"I bet you're really good."

Ratliff stared back at her with eyes of emotions none of which could be placed by looking at him.

She tried again, backing away a bit in case anything would set him off. Alone in a sense, considering the state worker didn't seem to care all that much, she probably shouldn't have confronted him the way she just did. Ally had no idea what was going through his head, or if he was anywhere near the way he was the night he attacked Jackson. But if it was one thing she knew, a person loved to be complimented. And he was a person, wasn't he?

"I used to be."

Her eyes shot up at the sound of his voice, which had previously been looking toward the ground. "Oh. I'm sure you still have it in you, Ratliff."

He continued to stare at her with those eyes. "You know, Ratliff isn't my first name."

A bubble of laughter escaped her throat at the answer he provided her. "What?"

"It's Ellington."

"Why…" As she began to ask why he stated this so suddenly, he cut her off like he didn't have the time for her questions.

"Everyone has called me Ratliff, but it's my last name," he quickly whispered. "My name is Ellington. I'd rather be called that." He darted away, as if he was never standing there in the first place.

"Is there a reason you're standing in the middle of a hallway for no apparent reason?"

Austin came around the corner, his smile wide and teasing at her gaping expression. She quickly closed her mouth and put a fake scowl in its place, rolling her eyes at the boy in front of her.

"I was talking to someone."

"Let's hope it wasn't yourself."

"Shut up." She gave into his jokes and started to laugh, not only because of what he had just said, but because of what he had also missed. Why do people always tell her all these odd things? It was like someone put as sign on her that said "reveal odd things to Ally. It's free!" "What are you doing?"

"Nothing. I figured I've played enough guitar today." His eyes cast toward the ground and then back up, a hopeful stare replacing the amused expression. "Can we have some Austin and Ally time?"

Austin and Ally time. It had a ring to it, she had to admit. "I don't know, I'll have to check my busy schedule and get back to you," she teased. He rolled his eyes, knowing it was her way of getting him back for his comments. "Yeah, of course we can."

He eagerly dragged her by the arm to his room that he shared with Riker, who must have been with Rydel. Sitting on his bed, perching himself so he could watch her every move, his smile once again widened. How much farther could that thing go? Ally laughed and sat down on the other bed, giving him a look. "So, I hear you like music."

"I do."

Austin raised his eyebrows, probably realizing from her short answer he was going into a conversation he might not like the answers to. But still, he continued on his way. "Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"I'm sure it's come up," she lied. Ally sighed. Why did everyone always want to bring up music with her? When her parents sold Sonic Boom, she had dropped that part of her life. It wasn't like she had dreams of becoming famous anymore, or even opening up her own store one day. Not that it was necessarily a painful topic, but it was one of those hopeless dreams that people still clung to in hopes that a movie type miracle would come along and make her life different. Knowing it was real life and not a movie though, made Ally wish to never bring it up.

"Not really! I'm sure you're great, Ally. I can't picture you not giving something your all. Everything I've seen you do… you don't give up and you just care. I like that."

"Thanks for the compliments, but my musical passion has been pretty dead for a while now."

Austin frowned at this. "Do you love music? And I don't mean you enjoy a song on the radio, or you like an artist. I mean, how the others love music."

"I always have," she admitted.

His frown faded into another smile and as if life was that simple, he stated, "Then you never really lose it. Music never dies, especially inside someone who has so much love and warmth inside of them. You know, when I saw you outside the other day with Riker, when you were singing, you were smiling like that day at the mall. It was a real smile, an honestly happy one. Not too many things bring you to that." He paused, considering something and then shrugged. "Then again, I've only known you a while now. But at the same time, it's easy to tell when you're really happy and not worrying about anything else around you. You light up and I can't help but think the world needs to see more of that you. How could you give something like that up or say it's gone?"

"I'm not sure its all that simple, Austin."

He shrugged, leaning back against the bed. "Maybe not. But if its one thing I know from what I've been through, being happy is all I want in life. And if music makes you happy, there is no reason to push it away, or pretend it means nothing to you."

Ally marveled at how he thought of life, and wondered what he ever did to deserve what had happened to him. He thought so beautifully and wonderfully about others and obviously cared enough to really look at a person, so how did he deserve any of what he'd been through? If there was anything she wanted nothing more to do and secretly promised herself to do, it was to make sure Austin Moon got all he wanted out of life. As the boy in front of her was something else.


	20. Healing

**Five days! Who would have thought? Go me! Anyway, I really love this chapter and while I promise we're still going to get into Ratliff, I needed to give him a break for a little bit. What I want to do with him can't happen if it remains on him all the time. So, don't worry, his focus will return but I figure someone else needed a little love.**

**Anyway, thank you to all those who reviewed. Shout out to a certain reviewer who I totally made myself look like a jerk in front of, here is another apology from me, in the form of a shout out. :)**

**Also shout out to brz, there is some Austin giggling in this chapter. It's for you.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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"People have always come up to me and asked for advice," Ally commented sometime later, dangling her feet over the edge of Riker's bed. Austin had followed suit and they were sitting like children, asking each other questions every so often. "It's odd. I never thought much of it as a child, but as I got older, I was always the person friends came to for advice. And then I decided, why not make use of it? I started a blog and over time, it got bigger and bigger until I was getting so many hits on the website I couldn't keep up." She paused and then added, "And that's when Marie found me."

He listened so intently, so curious about her she couldn't help but smile. "I was never good with advice. At least, not when I was young. Even now, I'm more of a person who just acts. I don't really think about things."

"There is nothing wrong with that."

He shrugged. "Not usually but it has gotten me into trouble in the past, I'll admit."

Ally chuckled and grabbed one of Riker's pillows to rest on. "Can I tell you something?" she asked, her mind wandering to the thought which had just invaded her brain and brought forth the question.

"Of course."

"I was going to quit the night you showed up."

This seemed to honestly surprise Austin and he leaned forward. He seemed to go through a fury of emotions, ranging from shock to awe and slight anger for even a second. After a moment of this, he asked, "Why?"

"Sometimes, it's too much," she admitted. "Before Trish, a lot of things were on my shoulders that shouldn't have been. I'm not someone who can handle what was placed on me. Marie was nice and you could tell she cared, but she wasn't good with the part of the job that mattered most, in a sense. You know, keeping order."

"Yeah, I could see that."

"And well, I just hated coming here every day, feeling weighed down by every job I was faced with." She didn't mention Dez, nor the fact that the bathroom attached to the room he was staying in, happened to be the place where someone tried to take their life. "Anyway, I shouldn't have told you that. Austin, I'm sorry. It's not your job to listen to me; it's the other way around!"

Austin shook his head the moment this left her mouth and got up, a bit forcefully this time. It was painfully obvious he was still aching at times and while he tried his best to hide it, he wasn't doing the best job. "Yeah, that's your job but I also consider you a friend, Ally. Friends don't only talk about happy things. It wouldn't be fair to you."

She was ecstatic he thought that way about her, but the idea of what he was saying, honestly wasn't correct. It was almost a bit ironic at times, how she was supposed to befriend these kids yet only remain a place for them to rant. People were bound to get attached, friendships like Austin had just mentioned, formed. If life actually worked the way the shelter wanted, sure it would work, but it would also be a lot different. Sometimes Ally was wrong and she knew that but at the same time, it was the talks like this with Austin that got him through the night.

He was curious by nature and loved to learn about the things around him. He was intrigued by Ally, by Rocky, and by everyone else. He often spent much of his time watching others and just listening, picking up things that people like Rydel, missed.

These talks continued over the next few days. Ally was balancing her time between everyone best she could, despite the obvious problems with Ellington. He didn't leave the room much still, but his face had lightened considerably through the days that did pass.

The morning of their first group therapy session, Ally could sense the tension. While Austin had no problem going and just being there, Rocky felt it wasn't fair to some of them who didn't necessarily want some of the others knowing what he'd been through. He'd spent hours the night before arguing with Trish, who had told him it was part of the state's recommendation and he needed to unfortunately, deal with it. So he dragged himself along, glaring at the small woman in front, driving the car.

Ally had giggled as the boy could still be such a pain at times. Of course, she was also rooming in a car with Ellington and Austin, which made for some interesting conversation along the way. Jackson had taken the others, considering his car was much bigger and also his past with the other moody boy. While Jackson had returned to work, both Ally and Trish noticed he was on edge around him, probably wondering if whatever happened that night would happen again. It was probably best they stayed clear of each other, at least until some stuff cleared.

"Can I go to sleep and wake up when it's over?" Rocky suggested as they neared the large building. "I mean, technically that way I'd be there but I don't actually have to deal with anyone!"

Trish glared at him in the mirror. The two had such an odd relationship ever since the hospital and it was quite amusing to those around them. Ally and Austin had enjoyed their usual exchanges and were too watching with slight smiles. "Rocky, I've told you many times already, there is no way out of this. It's once a week for an hour. It won't kill you. Maybe you'll even realize you will like it."

He grumbled at this and stepped out of the car the moment she parked it.

The boys were led into the building and into a private room, leaving all three shelter workers wondering what to do with themselves. Considering it was state led, none of them were needed for the next hour.

"Dallas got home last night," Jackson said, as if it were perfect timing for her to meet up with him.

Ally resisted groaning at her friend. "I'm not sure now is the best time for me to meet up with Dallas, Jackson."

After all, Ally sensed that this first group meeting would be a disaster. Oliver had still not forgiven Rocky for what he did to him that day in the rec room, and it was clear that Oliver was a bit of a jerk when it came to having the upper hand. He often gave subtle hints he thought he was an unstable once mumbled "future murderer" and as much as they tried to keep them apart, it was going to be a mess today.

Trish went to place a call with her boss, leaving Ally with Jackson. His cut was almost healed already, only bruises remained. It grew quiet as the two friends sat in the car, wondering what to do now. Finally, Jackson spoke. "I think this is very counter productive at our current state," he admitted.

Ally peered up.

"I mean, it'd be great down the road but right now we have Ratliff who doesn't even talk to anyone, and we're putting him in front of a group? It's going to shut him down further."

"And let's not even get into Rocky and Oliver," she quickly added.

He nodded at this and as if he predicted the future, there were a few shouts and a person blurred past their car, running down the street. Ally glanced toward the building, seeing a few of the kids staring at the door with shocked expressions. Ally would have sworn it was Ellington that ran off, but to her surprise, it wasn't.

It was Rocky.

Ally slammed the door shut to Jackson's car in seconds, not bothering to look back. She took off after the boy, forgetting any sort of protocol, her only concern the running boy in front of her. Ally called his name several times but he didn't stop. From the looks of it, the boy could move and it took several blocks for her to catch up as he wore down.

He collapsed to the ground, panting and coughing, gasping for air.

"Rocky," she whispered, kneeling next to him. "Hey, calm down."

He grunted in response, coughing harshly into his hands. His eyes finally moved up and there was recognizable pain behind them. His lips twisted into a humorless smirk. "I haven't run like that since I left home."

"Breathe and just calm down," she ordered, grabbing his shoulders to steady him. He did the opposite as whatever he had run for came back to him. It began as short breaths but quickly became hyperventilating and Ally was desperate to slow him down before he passed out from lack of air.

"Come on," she ordered. "Calm down. Breathe. Just breathe."

"Move," he yelled suddenly, pushing her away from his body. He got sick into the nearby dirt, his body expelling whatever he had eaten a few short hours before. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Rocky had said a lot the night they found Austin but whatever happened in that room brought him to a point he probably didn't even remember he was once at.

Ally was growing more and more concerned, wondering why she stupidly ran off without any help, once again. But she was determined she could deal with this and wandered to where he was kneeling now, gagging over the dirt.

She reached for her bag, which was still tightly over her waist and pulled a water bottle from inside. Handing it to him, he took it and downed half the bottle in seconds.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Don't be," she answered quickly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He smirked again but shook his head. "Not really." He paused and then looked at her. "Ally, how come this happened to Austin recently and he's able to talk about it and already begin to move on? I've dealt with this all my life and I can't picture being where he is at. He just… he started talking about what happened to him and it all came back to me."

Helping him stand, she put a slight smile on her own face. "Austin has dealt with short term abuse. You've dealt with something much more extreme and for a much longer period. That and everyone deals differently, Rocky. It doesn't make him better, or whatever you think it makes him."

He leaned against the wall of a building, staring off down the street. "I haven't felt like this in a long time, and I was only in there for a few minutes, Ally. I can't… I don't want to bring it back up. I don't know where it's going to bring me if I'm in there for an hour."

Her expression melted at the broken look on his face. It was actually him letting her in for the first time ever, and truly meaning to do so. Being her, she pulled him into a hug and didn't let go. "You don't have to right now. Let's just go back to the cars, and we'll deal with this at another time. I doubt Trish is going to drag you back in there after what just happened."

"No, but she probably thinks I did it purposely," he muttered.

"She thinks nothing of the sort," Ally swore. "Listen to me. We'll go back and I'll stay with you until it's time for us to go back to the shelter."

"Promise?"

Ally smiled at him. "Of course. I promise."

When they got back to the shelter, Rocky had snuck into his room and closed the door, playing guitar most of the day by himself. This of course hurt Austin, who thought they were the best of friends, but Ally knew he needed to be alone. Oddly enough, she wasn't too concerned about Rocky in a sense. He was hurting more than before of course but he also seemed to know something was off and his way of doing things had always been different than most.

So, instead she decided to tackle another problem in her life.

"What are you doing?" Austin asked, who had been following her around ever sense they got back.

Ally laughed at his curious gaze and went back to looking through her notebook for a number. Jackson had given her Dallas's new number a couple days before, in preparation for him returning to home. She put her finger up, and dialed it quickly before she lost the nerve.

"Hello?"

It flooded her memory, hearing his voice. "Hey… Dallas. It's Ally."

The other line went silent for a moment as the two former lovers heard each other talk for the first time in over a year. "Hey. It's good to hear from you."

"You too," she said automatically. "How are you?"

"Good, good. And you?"

It hurt that they were no longer able to have a real conversation and were reduced to making small talk. "I'm doing good." She paused. "I was wondering if you wanted to meet for dinner tonight."

Austin's eyebrows rose at those words and he began to tease her from the space next to her. She gave him a dirty look and waited for her ex to answer. "That sounds good!" he said happily. "I could pick you up at your house and we could go to our old place."

"You have an old place?" Austin said, who was listening in now as close as he possibly could.

Ally pushed him away. After agreeing once more, she hung up the phone and glared at her blond friend while tossing a pillow at him.

He laughed and dodged it easily, tossing it back at her. He continued to laugh as it knocked her off balance and she chased after him, giggling the entire way. It was a fun game of tag until she accidentally crashed into Riker, who was apparently coming their way. They fell to the floor, hard and loud. He didn't seem as amused as Austin did, who was trying to stop himself from giggling at the sight. Ally stood, helping her other friend up and apologizing while Riker just glared at Austin.

"Sorry, Riker. I didn't mean to hit you."

He just shrugged and ran off.

Ally sighed, once more glaring at Austin. He offered that stupid grin of his and took off, starting yet another chase. Ally couldn't help but laugh and went after the boy again.


	21. Smile

**I know I said it would only take me a few days to update. Well, the holiday got the best of me and I woke up sick the day before it and I just spent the last few days feeling like shit. So, I apologize. I feel a lot better now and I really like this chapter.**

**Thank you for all your reviews. I read every one of them and sometimes the things you guys say end up changing an idea I had, or giving me other ideas. And the help you give is awesome. Sometimes it feels really nice to know someone honestly cares enough to really read my story. I've gotten so many nice words and lovely comments and I can't believe how far this story has gone. I'm so proud of it and I hope you guys continue to enjoy it. I want nothing but the best for it.**

**As for this chapter... towards the end there is a part that might make you go "you can't do that!" I'm trying to say this as lightly as possible without giving any spoilers away. I promise I'm going to do this carefully and it's being thought of completely before it's gone up. I know this might sound odd, but this is mostly for one reviewer who enjoys Ross Lynch's giggles because I know I'm going to send warning signs through your eyes with a single moment. In advance... don't worry. ;) Hehe. But I also added a few more giggles and adorable Austin for you. You've helped me so much with this story.**

**Shout out to Carly again for being freakin' amazing and awesome. Fangirl squeal for you!**

**I'm also giving a shout out to dacergirl as well for making me think more of how I want several characters. It may not be what you think of, but your review helped me a ton as well.**

**And last shout out to R5ismysoul because you're awesome as well and if I could send you Riker in a box I would but I'd prefer not to be in jail so here have a new chapter instead.**

**OKAYS.**

**PS. The song in this chapter is my favorite from the Soundtrack.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally couldn't lie; a night away from the shelter was exactly what she needed. Sitting in her seat, at the corner of the old café where she had first met Dallas, was bringing back happy memories and nothing seemed better than having one of the burgers they made here. Dallas was a little late, as per usual for him (he had called her a few hours before and asked to meet up instead of him picking her up) and it gave her a few extra moments to really think about her life.

The café hadn't changed much. There was still the faint smell of daises and grease, an odd but comforting combo that always met your nose the moment you walked into the place. The seats were still neon green and pink, aged but still had that home like charm, well worn and not old. Matching lights dangled like glitter from above, looking like long strings with little light bulbs attached, giving just enough light.

Dallas sunk into his seat, giving Ally enough of a scare to gasp and blink at the familiar yet changed boy in front of her. His once wavy hair was now all the way down his back, tied away from his face. He was even tanner than before.

"Wow," she managed to say.

"Sorry I'm late," he said in a rush. "You know me."

Ally giggled, still shocked to see the change in the boy she knew all so well. "Yeah."

"You look nice," he commented casually.

This made Ally want to scream. If this night was full of small talk, she was going to explode. If anything else, she expected things to somewhat remain the same between the two. "Thank you. I was just looking at this place and thinking it hasn't changed much."

"Yeah, unlike us."

Ally stared into his brown eyes, noticing he was staring at her like she was him. Not only had he changed apparently she had too in ways not noticeable to herself. His eyes were wandering over her, studying each section to see what was different. She did the same and after a moment, both looked up.

"I really don't know what to say," he admitted with a sigh.

"That's okay."

Ally was starting to realize she didn't either. Maybe this was a mistake.

"Okay, let's try this. You work with Jackson now. What's that like?"

"I don't work with him actually. I'm a volunteer."

"Same thing." He smirked.

Ally laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is. It's nice, I would have to say. Until he showed up, I didn't really know anyone. I work at a shelter and it's tough. A lot of kids, a lot of problems. I was shocked with what was thrown at me. I didn't know how to handle it."

"That surprises me, Ally. You've always been good with solving problems and helping others."

"Yeah, well it's not just casual advice anymore. It is runaways and state kids who don't have anyone else. When I tell you the problems I've seen are like nothing else, I mean it. I just want to run away at times." Her mind flashed back to the night with Dallas and her eyes almost glazed with tears. "It's a lot."

"I know you can't talk about it because Jackson told me there is some kind of law, but if you ever just need to vent… I mean… I don't know if I'll say the right thing, but I can be here." He paused and then smiled strangely at her, as if he wasn't sure he should say what he was about to. "If there was one thing I regret about the last year and what I've done in it, it would be pretending like we were never friends. I know we're always busy but I could have picked up the phone and said hello, or just done something to help. You were my everything… you still mean the world to me and it crushes me to see you looking so upset."

Ally didn't see this coming and couldn't find words to place together. Her mind swirled at his words, trying to come up with something to reply with but it just went to a nervous giggle that ended into a bit of tears. "I'm sorry," she finally mumbled. "I'm not upset, I swear. I'm … just overwhelmed. And… I'm sorry too. I could have also called or done something. I just figured we both moved on and that was that."

"I never wanted that."

She swallowed nearly spitting out her drink from those words. It was obvious her idea of them breaking up on common terms wasn't as smooth as she thought it had been. The more and more she thought about it, the more she was starting to realize how they both dropped each other. It happened all the time but it was special to her and special to him so how did it just go away?

"Ally, I still love you."

This time, she did spit her drink out. No, romance wasn't part of her thoughts. Sure, she did love him like that at one time but it wasn't her feelings now. She missed her friend Dallas, the one who looked out for her and knew what she was feeling just every very second. The one who could smile at her and make her laugh with just one look. But not the one she loved. That had faded over time and healed into a past of memories… nothing bitter, everything perfect.

Yes, she missed him. Just not like that.

"What?" she repeated, hoping maybe there was a misunderstanding about what he had said.

His sincere look seemed to waver a bit and he repeated, "I still love you."

It was after those words were said that Ally realized how little friends she actually had. It had taken her about a minute to really think what he said over before she ran out of the room and into her car. She sat there for another minute or so, until she saw him coming to her car window before she drove off. This led her to realize she had no where to go but the shelter, or home. She didn't want to burden anyone there with her problems, especially considering it was Jackson's night to watch over everyone. Home was nothing but a house with walls. There was no comfort there other than her bed and her mind was too wired to even attempt sleep.

Her mind ached for anyway to relieve the confusion and shock and for a moment, she ached for Sonic Boom. It was too late to go there now, and how would she explain that she needed the break room for her own breakdown? Ally drove until she found a quiet road and pulled out her notebook, hoping this would be enough.

Nothing came to her. That was because she had no idea what was even going on.

Was Jackson aware of what Dallas felt? Did he want her to know this too? It seemed like it was all some scheme to get them to fall in love again, but she wanted nothing of the sort. Her mind and heart told her they didn't work for a reason… they were too different and wanted different things. It wasn't a movie where this didn't matter and they went back to each other anyway… this was real life and she wasn't stupid. Dallas wasn't her for and nothing he could say would change that.

Ally woke in her bed the next morning, not really sure how she got home. Her body felt extra tired and sore despite the obvious sleep she had gotten, and she wanted nothing more to pull the covers over her head and pretend she was a child without responsibilities. Instead she got up, got dressed, and put together what she needed for the day. With that, she grabbed her keys and got into her car, preparing for a weekend day at the shelter.

"Morning," Trish greeted the moment she walked in, balancing a plate of breakfast foods in each hand. She watched her knock on both Rocky and Ellington's doors, muttered something when they opened them and came back plateless afterward. "Ratliff is still quiet."

"Ellington," Ally said without thought.

"What?"

"Nothing," she muttered. "Nevermind. What about Rocky?"

"He's also been very quiet and asked to be left alone. I've checked on him but he's been difficult. I don't know what happened, but I thought maybe he just needs alone time."

He was still dealing with the day before and was being the Rocky she knew all too well; Ally realized but didn't tell Trish this. If she knew this, she'd go poking in, trying to get him to talk or to see Jackson, something that wouldn't help him much. Until he wanted the help, nothing would get Rocky out of the room. Ally respected this and excused herself to find rest of the group.

Riker was with Rydel, playing a video game. They were both staring at the screen like it was worth a lot of money, neither looking up when she entered. Her mind giggled at this, and Ally felt at a loss. Nothing seemed to scream at her today, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Hey!"

Austin.

Ally smiled widely at his entrance in the hallway. His entire demeanor was happy and just relaxed and it immediately gave her a sense of calmness and quiet. "Hello!"

"I was waiting for you. How was your date with that guy last night? Any details you're just itching to tell me?!"

Ally groaned.

"I take it you're not so happy with the date."

"One, it wasn't a date," she said with a sigh. "Two, that was the problem, apparently. Let's not talk about this. I want to pretend it never happened. You're full of energy. Let's use that and do something. Anything you have in mind?"

His smile lit up. "Austin and Ally time! Alright!" His smile disappeared and a look of severe concentration replaced it. "Okay. Let's do something at the mall. I'm sure we can find something to do. Besides, I'm looking to get something to match that dress of yours."

Her smile reappeared at this and she shoved the boy. "I told you to burn that thing."

"Not a chance!"

Ally wished she realized how full of life Austin really was the moment she met him. Because he never stopped. The boy had no problem dragging her through every ridiculous store the mall in Miami had, giggling like there wasn't a problem in the world. It made her feel better to see him happy, but she still was feeling pretty annoyed with herself.

"Would you just smile?!"

"Excuse me?"

Austin looked up from his ice cream and pointed his finger her mouth. "You need to smile. I will not leave this table until you smile."

"That is okay with me. You've run me around this place like a thousand times."

"I'm not being funny," he answered. His face was completely serious and she knew he wasn't lying. "Ally, come on. Just let go a bit and have fun! Do you see how ridiculous this place is? How many stores actually exist and make money from people like us? Look at my ice cream. There are mini penguins on the cup and they look like they're stoned! That's _funny_! Look around you. There are people who look like they got dressed in the dark. There are bunnies in the window of that pet store. Life can be terrible and then there are such awesome things around you. I mean, just forget about the damn world and enjoy the little, stupid things around you. I'm sitting here right now, trying my hardest to jut make you smile. Could you just smile?!"

Ally put a fake smile on her face. He didn't buy it.

"Just to let you know, you're making me do this," he warned.

Ally went to ask what he was talking about when he tossed his ice cream into the garbage and started to climb onto his chair. She was going to warn him that he could get hurt when he started to yell. "Excuse me, I'm sorry for interrupting your daily activities. I'm here with my friend Ally and some loser last night is making her extra sad right now and I just want to let her know how awesome she is. She's helped me a lot in the last few weeks and sometimes I think she needs to be reminded that she is more than welcome to just let go and have some fun!"

"Austin!" she gasped. "Stop it!"

He smirked. "You asked for it."

_Sometimes it feels like you lost your swag _

_You got a "Kick-Me" sign covering the skills that you have _

_And it all looks wrong when you're looking down _

_You get dizzy, doin' 360's _

_And you can't break out! _

_Even when you feel like you ain't all that_

_Just don't forget that I've got your back_

_Now turn up the beat and bump that track_

_(Bump that track)_

_Yeah!_

_Nobody rocks it the way that you do_

_You got style_

_Pop your collar 'cause you're all kinds of cool_

_You're legit, you're the boss_

_Even when the mic is off_

_Nobody rocks it, r-rocks it the way that you do_

_No, oh-oh-oh_

_The way that you do_

_Can't let one bad thing go and crush your ways_

_You got your epic wins, 364 days_

_And it's feelin' like your game is crazy off_

_But all you need is to bring the heat_

_Get back on top_

_Even when you feel like you ain't all that_

_Just don't forget that I got your back_

_Now turn up the beat and bump that track_

_(Bump that track)_

_Yeah!_

_Nobody rocks it the way that you do_

_You got style_

_Pop your collar 'cause you're all kinds of cool_

_You're legit, you're the boss_

_Even when the mic is off_

_Nobody rocks it, r-rocks it the way that you do_

_No, oh-oh-oh-oh_

_The way that you do _

_You're off the charts_

_You're number one_

_You got the fire and you can't be undone_

_You breakin' records_

_You make it pop_

_You got the fire so keep burnin' it up!_

_Nobody rocks it the way that you do_

_You got style_

_Pop your collar 'cause you're all kinds of cool_

_You're legit, you're the boss_

_Even when the mic is off_

_Nobody rocks it, r-rocks it the way that you do_

_No, oh-oh-oh-oh_

_The way that you do_

_Nobody rocks it the way that you do_

_(Nobody)_

_You got style_

_Pop your collar 'cause you're all kinds of cool_

_You're legit, you're the boss_

_Even when the mic is off_

_Nobody rocks it, r-rocks it the way that you do_

_No, oh-oh-oh-oh_

_The way that you do_

Austin pulled Ally up when he was finished singing and spun her, making the crowd that had formed during the song go a bit nuts. Ally couldn't help but smile at his song and giggle uncontrollably as he made her dance in front of others. They awkwardly stood in front of dozens of people and danced like no one was there. He was working his hardest to make the girl smile, as that was all he wanted.

"I owe you everything," he said. "You saved me. You deserve to smile. And if I have to keep singing until you smile like that all the time, I will." He leaned forward and added, "Besides, I haven't gotten a chance to do that in a long time and it was awesome."

Ally laughed hard and pushed him away. It only took a second for her true smile to meet his and there was a moment where they were both smiling at each other, their eyes locked. Then reality hit the girl as he seemed to lean closer and she pushed him away as gently as she could. "Thank you. I needed that."

He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You're welcome."

There was a brief and awkward pause when a voice cut off Ally's next words.

"And just who would this _loser_ be?"

Ally felt her body literally cringe at the familiar voice behind her. She closed her eyes and prayed she was still in bed and she was dreaming all of this. But when she turned around and saw the angry eyes of her ex, she knew she wasn't dreaming at all.

"Dallas."

"I'm a loser, huh?"

"Dallas…"

"I heard what he said, Ally. You know, I poured my heart out to you yesterday and you left me in the café like I was nothing. And then you go and tell your new boyfriend lies and make me seem like I'm a dick when I'm nothing of the sorts."

"Dallas…"

"Wait a minute, you're the dude she was with?"

Ally cringed again. "Austin…"

"No, Ally don't. Are you who she was with last night?"

"I think I said that about a minute ago, blondie. Keep up. Maybe if you stop bleaching your hair, you'd have more of a brain to use to listen with."

Austin snorted.

"How old is this kid, Ally? I can't believe you left me last night for this piece of shit."

Ally remained silent, not sure what was going on. All she knew was this wasn't going to end well. Austin was protective. Dallas was one who would take comments and use them to fuel his fight and anger.

"I'm not a kid," he growled back, his face flushing with anger. "And all I know is you upset this girl last night. I don't care what you said. I don't care what you say to me or about me. But don't you dare come over here and act like you're some god when you're nothing but some loser with a bad tan hoping this girl would take you back. Guess what? As far as I can tell you're still single, so I guess that you've got your answer."

"You fucking…"

Ally didn't wait for the fight to go any farther. She grabbed Austin by his hand and pulled him away as fast as she could, feeling her face redden with each step she took. She didn't stop until she got into her car and was on the way back to the shelter. Austin didn't say a word, but his face said enough. He was furious and she couldn't blame him.

Ally just wished she could have slept through the day.


	22. Jail Cell

**If I told you how much trouble I've had writing this chapter... you wouldn't understand. I rewrote parts of it several times, and I don't like the first half at all, if I'm completely honest. But I feel terrible making you guys wait and I don't want to make it end up that I don't write it for weeks on end. As for what happens toward the end of this one, you're seeing the start of what some of you are very excited to see. Are you on Team Austin or Team Riker? Let me know. ;)**

**Thank you for the reviews as always. I try to respond to everyone, but if I didn't respond to you, please know I appreciate your review. Thank you for making my day a little happier.**

**Next chapter will bring back a character I don't think anyone here likes. Who missed Jimmy Stock? Okay, don't hate me!**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

You could tell there was tension in the air as Ally parked her car outside of the shelter. She wanted to say something, something that would ease the anger both of them were feeling. If she was honest, Dallas could be angry. He had a right to be. But it was a misunderstanding and no one seemed to understand that.

Ally got out of the car and walked toward the shelter, hearing the blond boy walking behind her. She had no idea how to deal with this. Hoping it came to her as she continued, she walked inside and to the sound of drums. This made her smile immediately. Austin's eyebrows rose as he stepped up next to her and both of them looked toward the living room where Ellington was having his own little rocker session.

It was obvious everyone else was preoccupied because there was no other way he'd be in that room if not. Riker's door was closed. Rocky's too. Rydel had music blasting down the hall. They had just gotten home.

Before Ally had a chance to tell Austin to follow her, she noticed he was gone. A sigh escaped her lips and a heavy feeling danced in her stomach. She didn't like the look in his eyes and she could understand it. There was something degrading about being pulled away after being insulted with no comeback of your own. He probably felt inferior to Dallas in a sense, not only because of the history between him and Ally, but because he was younger than him, too. Well, at least this gave her some time to think about what she was going to say to Austin.

Ally went into her room and closed her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. Just one day of normal things. No fighting, no one running… a normal life. A laugh escaped her throat… who was she kidding?

A knock on the door made her look up and Riker stood before her, his eyes showing his concern. Guiltily beckoning him forward, the boy sat down on the floor next to her and pulled out his notebook. _Did you and Austin have a fight?_

"Not really," she laughed. "It's a long story."

He nodded his head and Ally swore for a moment there was a flash of happiness in his eyes. She studied him for a second and then shook it from her thoughts. Why would he be happy? There was silence until he began to write again. _I think I'll join the band._

Ally was surprised. "Really? Are you sure? If you don't want to, you don't have to do it." And from what was going on recently with half of the group, she wasn't even sure if the band was still on. Rocky was locked in his room, Ellington wouldn't play in front of anyone…

He nodded.

This made her smile. "That's great. People deserve to hear you play. I'm glad you decided to."

He again nodded. Ally noted the music had stopped from the living room, but instead she now heard hushed voices. She couldn't make out who they were, but they were definitely male. Her curiosity was eating away at her, but she remained where she sat. A door hadn't opened, so she assumed it was Ellington and Austin, not Rocky. Her mind wandered to what they could be talking about when the two appeared in front of her door. Quickly, Ally noted the lack of sleep on Ellington's face. He looked so worn down and broken. It pained her to pretend she could smile back at them.

"Hey guys."

Riker nodded. He too was a bit surprised by their entrance.

"What's up?" Ally asked.

"We want to play," Ellington said softly.

His voice was ragged and raspy, as if he hadn't said a word in days. This was true, but hearing it made it even worse. She focused on the conversation and nodded her head. "Play in a band?" she confirmed.

They nodded.

"I'm sure Rydel would love to hear that."

Riker smirked at this, giving her a knowing look.

Their eyes all went to the closed door down the hall. And then back to Ally. "We need Rocky to play too." Austin stared past the girl and onto the other blond boy. "And you, Riker. If you want to."

He nodded his head again.

"Yes?"

As he confirmed this, once again the group stared at the young volunteer. "I'm assuming you want me to talk to Rocky."

Austin put a gentle smile on his face. The two weren't okay at the moment and he didn't want to put anything on edge more than it already was. But since Ellington didn't talk very much, and Riker couldn't, it was up to him to display what the others wanted.

Her mind halted at the idea of trying to get the moody boy to talk. If he didn't want to, he wasn't going to. There wasn't any way around it. Who knows how long it would take for him to decide he wanted to see everyone else and even if he still wanted a band? But the look they were giving her, the one of hope and pleading made her stand and look towards his room. Maybe things had chanced since she last got him to talk to her. Ever since the hospital, things had been different with them. Maybe this time, he'd really let her in.

"Go find Rydel," she told the others. "I'll find you all in a little bit."

If it was anything that did show improvement in Rocky, it was that he didn't punch things as much anymore. He was getting better at holding for better purposes. Austin had to have something to do with this, mainly because she couldn't think of herself in this way. She had said a few words to the boy… Austin had become a close friend to him.

Still, she knocked on the door in hopes that he did trust her somewhat.

She didn't expect an answer and nor did she get one. "Rocky," she said in a soft voice. "Can I please come in?"

She waited a moment and then opened the door. Rocky was sitting on the bed, staring at his guitar with sad eyes. Her mind wandered to music again and how it was supposed to help everyone. Why couldn't they just get to that? Why was someone always getting in the way?

"The others want to start the band," she said, deciding to get to the point. "Even Ratliff. Austin's all excited, and so is Rydel. Even Riker wants to join. They wanted me to get you."

No answer.

"Rocky… I don't know what to say to you. I'm not sure how to help. I just know that you love music and if there is one thing you seem happy with, it is that. I know they'd appreciate having a guitarist for the band. And I'm not sure how it's going to work, but I think you'll enjoy yourself if you go into the living room and just try to."

Ally stood. She was out of ideas.

"It's nice how you always ask," he said quietly.

"What?" she asked.

He looked up with sad eyes. "You always ask to come in."

She smiled at him. "It is your room. It would be rude otherwise."

He shrugged and leaned against his bed. "Yeah, I guess so."

Ally smiled slightly at this and shut the door behind her. He could be so odd at times. The others could be heard from the other room though and she didn't want to tell them that Rocky didn't plan on joining them when the door opened from behind her. He slipped past her, not saying a word and walked into the living room. The chatter slowed and music began to play in different sorts. No one said a word. But music talked.

Ratliff carefully tried different sounds. Timid.

The hard strummed notes, determined, pure, and fast were Austin's.

Rydel was playing an upbeat key on her new keyboard.

Rocky played a dark riff. It was painfully slow.

And Riker was softer than the rest, but his gentle, caring strums danced through the house.

Ally smiled at this. How ironic this was the most at peace the shelter had been in a long time.

The session didn't last long. Ellington was the first to disappear back into his room, followed by Riker. Riker smiled at Ally, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen as he walked by. Then it was Rocky, who left the door open behind him, she noted. And then Rydel, humming to herself and dancing toward her room. Ally laughed to herself, wondering if the girl ever had a bad day. But where was…?

"Hey." He seemed scared to walk in, and took careful steps toward where she stood.

"Hey, Austin."

He sat down at the table, staring at her with nervous eyes. Her mind was brought back to the mall earlier and she gently put down the food in her hands. "I wanted to apologize for earlier."

"Don't apologize," she said automatically. "It's not your fault."

"Okay," he agreed. "But I shouldn't have said anything to him. I made the situation worse and I embarrassed you and that was never my intention. I don't know him but the way his eyes looked when he stared at you… I couldn't describe it. I was so angry with him and how he just assumed that… I don't know. He's right, you know."

"About what?"

"I'm a kid." He smiled slightly at this.

"You're not a kid," she laughed, touching his hand. "Sure, you may be younger. But you're not a kid. There is stuff I didn't tell you about Dallas and I and maybe I should have because it would have avoided a lot of painful conversations and this one now. Look, I'm not mad at you for what you did. I love that you stood up for me and it's really sweet, Austin. It's good to know someone has my back. I just wish you would have thought about what you said. Dallas and I have a lot of history. He's hurt and what happened before you guys started to fight didn't help anything. I don't want to get into it now, but please understand when I say I don't hate him and I don't want you to."

He didn't seem convinced and she couldn't blame him. The Dallas he saw was nothing she was used to and seemed like he couldn't possibly be a decent person, or have ever loved Ally like he claimed to. But she knew he did and was just being a typical male when threatened.

Austin sighed finally. "Okay. I don't like him but I will assume you know what you're talking about."

Ally laughed. "Okay."

They sat in silence for a few seconds and then Austin said, "The band might actually happen. It seemed like everyone liked what was going on. Even Ratliff."

"Awesome. Do you want to tell the others that dinner is just about done?"

He nodded and went toward the hallway. He looked back for a second at her and just smiled. She knew he had a meaning for this and returned it, and went back to her cooking. Austin had a way of just trusting people which she loved. He didn't necessarily know for sure if they were right, but he believed in them and that gave her hope for everyone around her.

Trish and Jackson had come into the kitchen after what seemed like hours. They had been in the office for hours, going over paperwork and plans for the next week. The two new employees would start soon and everything had to be perfect.

She avoided Jackson at all costs, not ready to have that conversation yet. Dinner faded quickly though and all went separate directions, leaving Ally to find something to do until she was relieved to go home in about an hour. Rocky's door was open, so she didn't want to push that just yet.

Ellington.

Just as she was about to go toward his room, there was shouting from down the hallway, and the sound of people pushing each other. Trish and Ally were first to run down that way and to her surprise, she watched Riker push Austin hard toward their direction. He looked furious and his face was a shade of red that she couldn't put words into.

Austin was pushing himself backwards, away from the angered boy. He wasn't mad it seemed, more so afraid.

No one looked up but emotions seemed to flash through the mute one's face as he tried to process whatever happened. She wanted to say something but nothing came to mind.

Finally, Trish decided to say something. "Guys?"

Riker's face shot up and met Ally's. He seemed ashamed. His eyes immediately cast downward and he slugged toward his bed, sitting down and clutching the open book there. She recognized it immediately and sensed what might have happened. Her gazed shifted to meet Austin who was on his feet again, still looking like he might run any second. The book was his songbook and Austin must have touched it. She wasn't sure what else might have happened, but for something to get that heated in seconds, it couldn't have been good.

Desperately, Trish was trying to access the situation. Ally wanted to explain but it would probably do more damage then good. She touched her boss's shoulder and whispered for her to take Austin from the room. She then closed the door behind them and walked over to where Riker was sitting, knees curled up to his chest. His eyes were squeezed shut as tightly as he could, and she wasn't sure if he was angry now, or he was hurting.

"He read one of your songs, didn't he?"

Riker didn't answer her in any way, but she knew what she had said was correct.

"Okay, it's not that bad."

He didn't move.

"Riker, really. I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you."

This set him off and Riker got off the bed and sprang around the room, moving too fast for her to process what he was doing. Her mind told her to stay away from the notebook because this was all new to her, the way he was acting. Most of his songs were personal yes, but she couldn't imagine him acting this way for any reason before. Something in one of those songs must be more personal than she imagined. Words escaped her and she sat back down, wondering what she could say.

As nothing came to her, she eventually just waited for whatever was going through his head to stop. He walked back over after this and sat down, staring at the notebook with sad eyes. With soft fingers, he closed it and shoved it under his pillow with an angry, wordless sigh. Riker's eyes were nothing like the ones she was used to.

_I want to be alone_, he finally wrote on a new piece of paper. _Please_ he added.

Ally understood and before leaving, placed a careful hand on his shoulder. Feeling the warmth of his body beneath her fingers did little good to comfort her, knowing something happened that he either wouldn't tell her about. There was such guilt in his eyes and the look of shame he gave her when their eyes first met… what did this mean?

The hallways were silent. No one said a word to each other as she passed both Rydel, Oliver, and Jade, obviously shocked at what had just happened. Violence wasn't uncommon at the shelter, considering how messed up the backgrounds of some of the kids could be, but never once had she imagined it being Riker to be the one to push another shelter kid, and definitely not Austin. If it was Rocky, or even one of the other boys, maybe she could understand. Especially with Rocky because his mouth had a tendency to make others angry… but Austin was sweet. He was careful and understanding, always looking out for those around him. But… why?

After a few minutes of searching, she found Trish standing in the kitchen, preoccupying herself with the dishes. Austin was no where to be seen. "Trish?"

Her body turned and the woman shared her somber expression. "He won't say what happened."

"Neither will Riker."

"Do you have any idea?"

"A bit, but even with that idea, I can't understand what would have caused Riker to explode like that."

"I think it's best that Austin stays in your room tonight. I would pair him with another one of the boys, but I'm not sure how well that would be received considering the circumstances. The only one I would trust is Oliver, and the two don't seem all that close."

Her mind wandered.

"For tonight, I think it's best we just leave everyone be. Ratliff seems like he's okay. I'm bringing him for another personal therapy session in the morning after everyone is gone for the day." Trish continued the dishes until they were done and then turned back to face her volunteer. "I know it seems like nothing is going well at the moment, but I promise it won't last. Sometimes, it just takes time for things to work out. Go home and get some rest. Jackson and I can hold it down tonight."

She wanted to do nothing of the sort, but what honestly could she do? No one wanted her company. Austin was in her room, so she couldn't even make up an excuse to stay and keep an eye on Riker. It wasn't that she didn't trust her boss, it was just that she knew him unlike anyone else. And even though he told her to leave him alone, if he changed his mind she wanted to be right there, that second.

Days passed and the tension didn't resolve itself. No one talked to each other for the most part, unless it was needed. Her volunteer hours were painfully slow because of this. Trish, Jackson, and Ally were besides themselves, running out of ways to make their group a family again. Nothing seemed to work and it was causing more pain than was needed.

It was like the shelter had shut itself off and each room required for it's owner to be in it at all times. Even Austin wouldn't talk to her. Ellington had remained a recluse ever since that night and Rocky oddly enough seemed intrigued by what had happened, yet didn't say a word to anyone on the rare moment he happened to be around anyone else.

"Maybe we should do a group meeting," Jackson suggested in the office on the fourth day of no talking.

Ally looked briefly to him. They hadn't said much to each other as well. Whether or not he knew what happened with his brother she didn't know, but she didn't care to find out. With the shelter in havoc, she had pushed Dallas to the back of her mind. He was now the least of her worries.

"Maybe," Trish commented. Her boss seemed oddly retracted from everyone herself, as if this was her fault.

Ally didn't know what to say. She was running out of ideas. "I think a group meeting would be a disaster," she finally added, looking up once more. "Half of the group hates talking at the group sessions each week. I don't think its best to force anyone into talking right now. Someone will eventually step forward."

"Yeah, when?" he challenged.

She was in no mood to fight with anyone, especially not him. "I don't know."

"Okay, okay," Trish said, staring at the two. "Here is what we're going to do. The only thing that this group has in common is music. I heard them the other day. Somehow, we've got to get them to start playing together. Just get them in the room, playing a song or just playing, I really don't care how it works. Just get them together. I'm tired of this place being the way it has been for the last few days."

"Whatever." Jackson stood and made his way down the hallway, finally showing his displeasure with the young girl. Ignoring this, she agreed to what Trish had told her and wandered down the hallway and waited in the living room. To her surprise, within minutes Trish had gotten the group into the living room, even those who Ally would have thought would never have agreed. The group of five stared at each other with weary eyes, wondering what was going on. Riker refused to look at Ally, and was currently staring at his fingers that held his guitar.

"Okay." Trish made her way to the center of the room. "I'm tired of this place being a jail cell. I can't say I understand what has happened here within the last week. But what I do know is that you all love music. And I also know that the state has graced us with these beautiful instruments in front of me. I'm not asking you guys to talk and become the best of friends right now. From what I understand, there was an arrangement of a band made a few weeks ago. I don't care if the idea is now void, I'm telling you all that its happening. I don't care if you hate the person you're standing next to, or you think I'm out of my mind." The small woman could be so intimidating when she wanted to be. "You're forming this band. You will work together. I pride myself on running this shelter as not only a stable place to live, but on how we work as a _family_. I'm not seeing a family anymore, and I'll be damned if you don't at least _try._ You're _different_. You've all been through a lot in your lives. Some of you aren't used to living with others. This is new to you. Or this could just be a hard time. I'm not saying I want perfection. I just want you to _try_."


	23. Newcomer

**Well, this chapter was a much better one than the last. I think it just is a better chapter all around and I got to introduce a new character, too! I can't remember who asked about Ryland Lynch, but it gave me an idea. For those of you who know I was having problems with trying to create adult characters that made sense for the story, I think I finally have one. You'll enjoy him. After all, he and Jackson are going to be interesting together. And his character was really fun to come up with too.**

**Anyway, I LOVE YOU GUYS FOR THE REVIEWS. But you know that. How sick are you of hearing that? I won't ever get sick of seeing them.**

**If you guess the name of the song in this chapter, you're awesome. If you read my new one shot, it's by the same band!**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Try was the new word for Trish over the next few days. She made sure the group met at least once a day in the living room. Her focus was music in many ways, but she also had set up what seemed to be little chat sessions. Of course, she and Jackson did most of the talking, but it helped. And even if it was the most painful music session any of them ever had, they played. It was obvious that the music was their way of getting whatever they needed out. Trish might have pushed it back on them, but the music was helping more than anyone even realized.

It was a simple riff from a guitar, that either Rydel or Ellington would add onto, whether it was on purpose or some sort of musical subconscious.

Someone would begin to tap their foot, or would play off the new riff, and it would continue like that for sometimes an hour. Ally could hear it, as she was musically inclined herself. But the others, as in the adults, didn't notice a thing. But they wouldn't, would they? Ally wasn't even sure they knew what they were doing.

As for Ally, she emerged herself in her college work, as the exams that would be the last of her college years were only a week or so away. She was sitting in the kitchen this time, alone with a book to study from. The group was about to break for the afternoon, and she looked up in time to see them nearly run in different directions. Maybe it wasn't what Trish had in mind, but it probably was a start.

While everyone still seemed on edge, Austin had begun to warm up to her again. She'd catch him in the hallway every so often and he'd offer a timid but true smile. He'd give a simple wave. Or hold her gaze longer than she would have assumed.

This was their new thing and Ally wasn't in any rush to push it. If he was smiling at her, it was a good sign. Ally wasn't quite sure why she was pushed in the middle of this fight, but again it wasn't best to shove her way back in, if she wasn't welcomed first.

Austin made his way into the kitchen and grabbed an apple, the same smile on his face directed at her as he passed. Ally thought about saying something to him, but bit her tongue. It took all she had in her to remember when he was ready to talk, he would. It was unbearably painful though. She missed what he had started to call "Austin and Ally" time.

To her surprise though, another voice graced itself behind her. "I think you've had your head in that book more times this week than I can count."

Rocky leaned on the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes slightly amused. His entire demeanor had changed since the days past and he casually walked in when she didn't refuse his company. Her mouth denied her access to words. She stared at the boy and finally retracted to rolling her eyes.

"I've got to pass these exams," she muttered. "Its important."

"Yeah, but so is having fun."

Ally snorted playfully. "Austin is rubbing off on you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Totally. That's something he'd say."

"Well, he's right." Rocky smirked and closed her book.

Ally was briefly angry with the boy, as she had not marked her page, nor had remembered a single thing she had read on it the moments before he came in. It quickly faded because the look on his face said enough to make her worry about whatever he had planned. She had only seconds before he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the living room.

"What are you doing?"

His drastic change in attitude made her weary, but maybe that was just Rocky. He seemed to be the one who would watch others from afar, perhaps knowing more than anyone else realized. Maybe he wasn't shutting himself off… maybe he was listening. Ally marveled at this until a sound of an electric guitar nearly made her jump into the air. Rocky was grinning back at her as his fingers went nuts over the object, playing crazy sounding riffs and making the entire room seemingly light up with noise. It broke out into an actual song, an old one she recognized from the radio a few years before this.

_I've been high, I've been low  
I've been yes, and I've been oh, hell no!  
I've been rock n roll and disco,  
Won't you save me, __San Francisco__?_

Ally giggled, watching him begin to bounce around to the beat of the song. Tapping her fingers along with him, it quickly became a jam session of sorts. He continued to play the song until he ran out of breath, his voice now raspy and tired. The artist's voice was a bit higher than his, which made it even more interesting to hear him sing it.

"Why San Francisco? Why that song?" she wondered, looking to him with a smile. He had such a good voice, so mellow and pure, clear to be exact.

He leaned forward, setting down the guitar, staring at her with now uneasy eyes. It seemed to take him away for a moment, as if he was trying to decide on something. This ended and he turned back to her. "I'm from San Francisco," he admitted. "It's a song I've related to a lot. That's why I think I like Miami. Its similar."

Ally's memory of the city of SF didn't necessarily remind her of her own hometown, but that was the least of what was on her mind. Not only had Rocky just admitted something personal from his past, he hadn't shut down or run away yet. It felt like there was a break in a hazy few weeks. She grinned at this, making him send her a questioning glance. She shook it off and laughed this time, finally returning to the quiet girl she was. "Nothing. I just can't picture you living there."

"It's beautiful," he added, his mind going to another place once more. His eyes darkened momentarily. "I'm not sure if it was ever home though."

That had to of been a long trip, she realized. Rocky had traveled all the way from California to Florida. "How long did it take you to make it here?"

"A few months." He paused. "Mainly because I wasn't sure if someone was looking for me. I didn't know if he'd… uh…" He trailed off, obviously not comfortable talking about this anymore. Ally thought he might have mentioned someone else if he actually continued, but it was obvious it wasn't that time yet. "I just thought maybe since I was a minor that once I left town, it would pop up."

Without words to answer this with, she nodded her head simply and leaned back on the couch.

Rocky took this as a chance to play some more. He continued with bunch of different hit songs, just the riffs this time. Finally, he set down the guitar and joined Ally on the couch. "You're so oblivious to everything around you."

"What?"

Rocky sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I don't want to be the one to show you. I just think you need to look at what's been going on a little differently. I feel like you're so absorbed in trying to help everyone, you're missing the obvious. Notice things a little more."

Ally stared at him questioningly. How could he say that and not explain?

He paused, staring down the hallway. "I just hope it doesn't ruin anything for any of us." He looked back to her. "I like the band. I just wish we could actually make it work."

"Give it time," she said uneasily, her mind too concerned over what he had just said.

What the hell did that mean?

Rocky soon left and she was alone with her thoughts, now trying to put together what he meant. She considered herself a smart girl, but by no means could she put together whatever he was hinting at. According to him, she was oblivious. But was it possible to be oblivious to being oblivious?

And what did that mean for her as a volunteer? It had to be something important in relation to the shelter. It made her wonder if she was doing her job correctly, or if she was making a bigger mess after all. Ally sighed in both annoyance and fatigue. Between studying and the weight of the shelter and it's problems, she was ready to collapse in her bed and sleep for a week.

"Ally, come to the office please!"

Trish's happy voice rang into her ears, momentarily making her forget about what she had been told. Following her boss' orders, she wandered that direction and saw a tall man standing in a sweater vest and pants that seemed like they were brand new. His eyes darted to her the moment she gave away her presence and despite his slightly proper looking appearance, he seemed very welcoming. Her head twisted a bit to the side. Who was that?

"Ally, Jackson, I'd like you to meet Mr. Ryland Lynch. He's one of our new psychiatrists. While he's not stay in like Jackson or myself, he'll be spending many hours here, talking with the group and maybe helping out those who are in the more dire need of assistance. He specializes in teens with mental disorders and we're very lucky to have him."

Ryland Lynch stepped forward and offered a smile as a greeting, as well as a handshake. "It's a pleasure," he noted quickly, barely touching her hand before moving on to Jackson. Her other co worker seemed amused by the man, who while shorter than him and heavier, seemed more official than anyone standing in the room at the moment. Trish, in her dress and heels, Jackson in his more so casual clothes, and Ally in a t shirt and jeans… they all felt severely underdressed.

"Where did you graduate from?"

Jackson's question was purely for the pleasure of trying to up step his new co worker. Ryland didn't seem amused, or he didn't get what the younger man was trying to do. "MiamiUniversity, BA in Psychiatry. I'm working on my masters now though. I'd one day like to open my own clinic and treat kids both live in and walk in. But for now, I work for the state and they believe I'd do best here." He paused, trying not to offend perhaps. "I hear they had some problems with the former owner."

"Not former owner," Trish said, clearly not too comfortable with talking about her former mentor. The woman hadn't been mentioned much since she left, but it was still very obvious that Trish cared for her and hoped that one day once she was over her addictions she would come back and take control of her shelter once more.

"My apologies," he replied, smiling gently. "Either way, I'm happy to be here. Now, I don't want to frighten any of the patients today. I should maybe start with one on one sessions though, get to know them a little better. That doesn't need to be today, like I previously mentioned. Maybe we should just do a group meeting and just introduce me. How does that sound?"

Trish seemed pleased with his overall professional opinions and appearance. Her smile brightened considerably, probably from both the new help and the way he was handling being placed here. Ally had assumed that the shelter was the laughing stock of the state offices. It was an utter mess before Trish showed up and while she was doing her best, it still was in a decent amount of problems.

"Wonderful. I'll let the group know and we can do it after dinner. That way, they're all relaxed. We do have a few in the group that are very introverted and not willing to share much about them. They also have severe anger issues. I should mention that now before you meet it head on and don't realize."

"I can handle it," he assured his new boss.

"Ratliff is a handful," Jackson agreed.

"He's not that bad," Ally retorted, noting the look on her co workers face. More and more, she was getting annoyed with him. It was little things at first, the way she'd catch him looking her way, as if she was being judged for what she was doing. Or she'd make a comment, or share an opinion on something Trish would bring up and he'd immediately retort with something negative.

"Let's let Ryland decide, perhaps," Trish said, her voice hinting a sour note. She glared at the two of them before stepping out of the room with her newest employee.

Once out of ear shot, Ally looked to her once friend now somewhat problem. "Is there something you want to say to me, Jackson?"

"No," he said, but his voice said otherwise.

"I think you're being really unprofessional and it's really starting to bother me. If you don't think I'm doing my job, please tell me but if it has something to do with my life outside of work, I highly suggest you mind your own business," she hissed. He seemed shocked but didn't try and argue. "Especially considering it is your fault it happened after all. I didn't push for what you asked of me. I simply said I'd meet up with Dallas because he's someone who was always good to me. I don't love him anymore. I don't plan on loving him any time soon. And I also don't plan on apologizing for it, so either get your head out of your ass and do your job correctly, or stop giving me those looks and arguing with what I say to other people. I may not have my degree yet, and I may not have your job, but I'm not an idiot. Stop treating me like one."

Ally stormed out of the office and down the hallway, absolutely furious. It wasn't like her to talk to anyone like that, especially not someone who held more authority than her at the shelter and could easily have her in trouble for what she had just said. But then again, he was the one who was acting like the volunteer, not the social worker. And she was sick of his constant yet subtle digs at her for doing something that was honestly not his problem. Sure, Dallas was his brother and she was sure that he was upset over what happened.

But when it came down to it, it was their problem, not his.

And she was the one who had to deal with it, not him.

"Nice one," a voice said.

Ally looked up in shock to see Austin standing there.

"Austin," she scolded. "You shouldn't have been listening in on my conversation!"

He smiled innocently. "I couldn't help it. I heard you all angry and I had just to see that. It was something I had never experienced before. You know, it was kind of hot."

Ally laughed. "Oh, Austin!"

His smile continued to widen until she gave him a look and he relaxed. Sorry, I shouldn't have been listening in but it was awesome. You told him!" His expression changed almost immediately. "But that's not what I was looking for you about. I have a court date tomorrow. Trish is going but I'd really like to have someone else in my corner, someone a little closer to my age. My aunt can't come and I'm… I have to face him tomorrow. It's the opening statements or something… I don't know much about how it works. I just have to listen to the people talk and sit in the same room as him." His body started to shake, his eyes watering over. "I don't want to face it alone."

Ally didn't bother to think. "Of course I'll be there. I have a exam early, what time is the date?"

He answered her and told her it would be perfect, and they began to walk down the hallway. He had visibly relaxed, perhaps because he had her in his corner, or because she hadn't turned him down. Probably both and this made Ally smile. It was nice to know she was appreciated and trusted enough to be there.

They walked to her room, where Austin had been staying in since the fight. She wanted to bring it up but to push it right before his court date, maybe that wasn't right. Instead, she pretended that she didn't worry about what had happened and spent rest of the day laughing and joking around with the blond boy. Austin and Ally time had returned.


	24. Court

**One of my longer chapters. I hope you guys like this one. There are a few happy moments in it, but it's mostly a sad chapter. I like Austin at the end of it, because you don't get to see that side of him on the show, ever. Not sure if he has a side like that at all, but he's my character to play with and I think he'd be defensive about the ones he cares most about, wouldn't you?**

**Shout out to, Isazu, R5ismysoul, and Llamagal for guessing the song. Congrats. :)**

As for the court part of this chapter, I'm going off what I just read and how many episodes of Law and Order SVU I've watched, so it might not be all accurate. I'm trying though, I promise. It was all I had in me not to make the ADA the one from the show, but hey. Oh well. Can anyone guess who I stole the last name of Jimmy's lawyer from? If you do, shout out next chapter. :)

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

The first thing Ally had noticed when she walked in the shelter that next morning was Austin's nerves. He was pacing up and down the hallway, dressed impressively in a button down top and dress pants, his hair perfectly brushed and proper looking. It didn't look too much like Austin, yet at the same time, it did. His eyes were what got her though, how scared he looked and yet trying to put on the façade that he was fine at the same time.

"He's been like that all morning," Trish said carefully, stepping up behind her. "Nothing I say has helped."

Ally felt terrible. "Is this the first time Jimmy is going to be in the room?"

Her boss nodded with a sad smile. "That's why."

"I figured as much." Ally looked at her phone, noticing they had a few minutes before they had to leave. "I'll talk to him." Not waiting for her boss to answer her, she took off toward the pacing boy and asked him to join her in what had become Austin's room. Ally didn't use it much anymore anyway, considering she had been relieved more nights as of late because of the better care of those around her.

"I know he can't touch me," Austin said the moment the door closed. It was as if she had closed the door and opened the flood gates. "I just can't deal with knowing that he knows I told someone. It seems crazy," he paused, laughing to himself. "He kept saying I would remain quiet because it would tear my family apart to know that I couldn't be a man, but now I have no real family anymore, so what does it matter?"

"Austin," she started with a careful tone.

He continued, "I just miss my mom right now. I miss her a lot. My Aunt Stormie is a nice woman, I like her. She cares but I just… there is no one else that I can talk to about this. I mean, she didn't even know! What would she have thought of me? Would she have stayed with Jimmy? She wasn't stupid, Ally. I mean, she was blinded a bit by who she loved but I can't see her doing that to me. I just wish… I wish I had one more chance. Or at least I wish I could see her rip him to pieces. He may be a military man, but he's not a man! How could he be? How could he accuse me of not being a man when he's the one who disgraced that uniform? How?!"

Ally wanted to cry. He looked so heartbroken and confused and there weren't any words she could say to him. Her eyes were watering in front of her, everything telling her today wouldn't be a fun day for anyone. But how could she calm the boy? He was ready to break any second. Austin was quite fine when Jimmy wasn't the topic of conversation but it was all it took for him to go south when that man was brought up.

The door opened, but no one noticed. Someone slipped into the room and listened to Austin rant for a few more minutes.

"I can't say I know what you're going through," a voice said. Rocky stood behind them, his hands on his hips. His eyes were soft, something unusual for the boy but it also held dark secrets no one knew of. It made sense finally. Rocky considered Austin like a younger brother to him, and that was why they got along so well. It was the abuse that brought them together, but it was all they had in common and the faith that Rocky had in the other boy that made it continue. Ally marveled at this.

"You know better than anyone," Austin disagreed.

"No," Rocky stated. "I really do not know what you're going through." His eyes continued to soften at the look of despair and shock on his face. "But I do know what I can tell you, Austin. You're facing the man who did this to you. Whether or not you think you've got the balls to do it, you do. You're standing here right now. You're going to end up going to the court house and you're going to tell the world what he did to you. Do you realize you've done something I never did? I ran, Austin. While I got away from it and I'm free now, I never got the satisfaction of knowing that piece of shit who made my life hell was behind bars because I told the state what he did. I never got to watch his life crumble before my eyes because he knew he was screwed. Of course, I could have made that happen but you know what? I think that may be why I'm here. Fuck the people who come through this shelter and think they know what you've been through. They don't. I love some of the people I've met here, they're great. But people like Jackson and Trish, while they care do not know how it is to live in fear because they've never experienced it. We have. I know, you know. I like you Ally and I don't mean anything against you, you're great," he said, stopping to smile at her. "But this here, you and me Austin? We were meant to meet. And I usually don't believe in that fate shit, but what else can you call this? Do not let today stop you. Show that piece of shit how low he should be. Because that's what he is… nothing. He deserves to be in jail, and I hope you put him there. Because that is where you'll find peace. Do you understand me? Knowing that the man who hurt you is paying for what he did will help you more than you know."

And then Rocky left like he never walked into the room. Ally once again stood with shocked eyes and ears at what she just heard. Austin on the other hand looked like he had just been slapped, yet in a good way. He stood this time, body still shaking but eyes now focused. "I guess that means we should go," he said softly.

"I hope this goes quickly," Austin said, a few minutes later as they were led into the large court building, being ushered by security guards with hard faces. Ally walked beside both Trish and Austin, staring at the place like it was a prison.

Someone handed Trish a few papers and walked away. She looked over them, agreeing with Austin when all his information was complete. Before they were tossed back to the person who handed them to her, Ally noticed something. With a bit of a smile, she wondered who in the world had named that boy. Unless she was crazy, his middle name had read Monica.

Just as Ally went to ask him about it, another man walked up to them. He was dressed in a suit, looked well off, and had a stern yet soft face. His smile finally appeared and he greeted Trish with a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Guys, this is Mark Lynch. He is the family court attorney that the state uses for such things when one isn't already present. Austin, I believe you may have met him once, but if not, it doesn't hurt to be introduced again. Mark, this is Ally. She's a volunteer at the shelter and a very good friend of Austin's. She's here for moral support."

Ally waved shyly and the man smiled too. "Good morning, guys. I hope this goes smoothly. We're fifth on dock today. I asked around and it seems most of the other cases are small things and should go fast, so we should be up in no time. I've talked to Mr. Stock's lawyer and he is still pleading not guilty." He noted the look on Austin's face. "Not to worry, Mr. Moon that doesn't matter much. We have much evidence to go against this. This brings me to also ask, Ms. Dawson, may I speak with you alone please?"

Ally was shocked to hear her name brought into this and she looked up in alarm. Both Austin and her shared a glance but she nodded. It was obvious Trish already knew of what was going on and pulled Austin away. "I was quite glad that Trish brought you along today, Ally. I understand that Austin first came to you about the abuse. I was looking for someone to be a witness. Most of Austin's case is going off old records and such, but you witnessed the bruises and injuries first hand, yes?"

"Some," she admitted weakly. "I don't know if I'm okay with this…"

Mr. Lynch smiled again. "I know it's a lot to take in so suddenly, and you wouldn't be of need today. I just need to add your name to my list of witnesses so that when the trial does start, it is already in place. Today is opening statements, shouldn't take too long. I understand you may be afraid. That's okay. Or maybe you're worried about what Mr. Moon might think. I assure you, this will help him more than you realize. We want Mr. Stock to be held guilty and accountable for what he has done to Austin. We've built a strong case, but the more we have, the more he sinks."

Ally swallowed, wondering if she should at least let Austin know. But then she decided, it really didn't matter. If it meant that Jimmy Stock would be put away, she would do it. Even if she was scared herself. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, yeah. I'll do it."

A few minutes passed and the group sat in silence. A few people walked past, most dressed in suits, ready for their cases or trials. There was yelling every so often from one group across the hallway, but other than that, it was complete silence. Austin was back to fidgeting, and Ally couldn't help but wonder why Rocky didn't come along. It would have made a lot more sense and he was right… he was better help than she was when it came to things like this. Then again, Rocky had his own problems. Would seeing Jimmy Stock be put away do him more harm then good? Ally wondered about this for a while, until Austin's smiling face appeared in her mind. Monica… this made her giggle, out loud apparently and his cautious face from next to her even smiled.

"What's up?"

"If I ask you something, will you promise not to get angry?"

He looked a bit surprised, but nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

"When Trish was signing those papers before, I noticed your name was printed on the top." He nodded. "And well, it said your full name was Austin Monica Moon. I know that it's none of my business but I can't help but wonder… why? Why is your middle name Monica? I'm pretty sure that's a girls name, but hey…"

He laughed at this, really hard. "Oh, Ally… thank you, I needed that."

"I guess that's a good thing," she agreed.

"Well I guess I could tell you the story. It doesn't seem like anyone will be calling us in any time soon."

Ally sat forward eagerly. "Go on."

"You know how my … mom was in the military?" he started. "Well, she joined it when she was really young… nineteen to be exact. For a while, she did training and such, to get where she wanted to be. A medic. She loved helping people and loved our military. While she was training, she met this woman. They helped each other all the time. My mom was a bit heavy when she was really young and sometimes, it was harder for her to complete some of the training, but this woman never gave up on her. And for the next couple years, they got close. My mom met my dad at that point too, and got pregnant with me. Right before my mom was due to give birth, both my father and this woman were deployed together by chance to Africa, where there was a lot of civil war type problems going on. A lot of countries were at war with themselves, you know? And the US was called in to help by the UN. So, you know as civil wars go… they're bloody. And we shouldn't have been there to begin with. I understand it's our duty as people to help others, but it wasn't our fight. Anyway, she was a medic too. And both my father and her were on a mission with about five others in this muddy, disgusting jungle like area. There was a hill that was planted with traps. My father slipped down the area, fell hard and couldn't get up. The enemy were waiting and started to attack. She refused to leave him behind and the others left. My father says the last thing he remembered her saying before a bullet took her out was, "you deserve to see your newborn son. That's something to live for" and then she saved him. Her body was his shield until their unit was able to come back and help him. Sure, he suffered some surface wounds but he was okay."

"Wow," Ally said with shock.

"Her name was Monica and she was my mom's best friend. When she heard about it, she was devastated and of course, she couldn't really name me after her. But what's a middle name? It's used for other purposes and she figured it was the best way to honor her." Austin smiled with a shaky laugh. "Of course, my father wanted to go and have another baby right away, name it after her, but military life sucks. Time went on… years passed. About ten years later… I was about that age, I think… my father got deployed to the deep mountains of Iraq. He was on patrol in some area, and an IED got him. Killed instantly." Ally had no idea about this at all and gasped. "I mean, it hurt a lot but we got on. I missed him every day, but it was still my mom and me so we made it, you know? And then when Jimmy showed up, it was like she was whole again. She'd lost so much in being in the military but it was all she loved. Getting deployed meant she had another chance to serve… and that's how it happened."

"Wow," Ally could only say. "I didn't realize how heavily the military has gone into your life.

He grinned weakly. "I'm a military kid, definitely."

"Thank you for telling me."

He shrugged. "It's not like it's a secret. I just wish I could have met her. I remembered from a young age how much my parents loved her. They wished I could have met her too."

"Austin Moon?" a voice said, breaking out conversation. Trish stood up. She motioned for us to follow. It was time to see Jimmy Stock for the first time in almost two months.

Ally was told to sit in the stands, behind all the important tables, holding both sides of the tables. A judge would be sitting a few feet in front of her in a few minutes. First, Austin, Trish, and Mark were led in. They sat to her right. It only took seconds to know Jimmy Stock was being led into the room because Ally could nearly feel Austin tense.

He didn't look very different. He was well dressed and his hair was gelled back this time, but the man still looked like a monster. His eyes were dark and menacing, as if they were trying to tell Austin to stay quiet. Ally glared at the man. If nothing else, the man needed to be slapped for what he was doing that very second. He took a seat next to his lawyer and waited for the judge to arrive.

The judge was an older man, probably near retirement and seemed to be very on edge. He glanced at the two tables and then spoke quickly with a guard to his left.

"Order," he spoke softly but with hard words. "Order, please." It silenced in the court. "We are here today to discuss the well being of Mr. Austin Moon and his guardian, Mr. Jimmy Stock." He looked between the two. Ally could almost swear that the man knew the accused was nothing good. After there was a moment to be sworn in, he continued. "Mr. Lynch, you may start."

"Your honor, we ask that this case be moved to a criminal court," he said simply.

Ally turned her head. What?

Jimmy's lawyer stood automatically. "Objection, your honor!"

"Mr. Payzer, this is not a trial, you cannot object. Please sit down." He looked back to Mr. Lynch. "Please, explain Mr. Lynch. This seems to me like it is a family court case. Mr. Stock is Austin's guardian, is he not?"

Mr. Lynch stood and walked toward the front. "While Jimmy Stock was the person watching over Austin while his mother was deployed with the military, he was not his legal guardian. Mrs. Moon nor Mr. Stock never signed any official papers leaving him as his guardian. In fact, if you look over records, he's not on any part of this child's history, therefore making this now a criminal case, not a family case."

"Mr. Payzer?"

"Mr. Stock was in the process of adopting Austin before his wife got deployed. While he is not the legal guardian of the boy, he did care for him and provide him housing while his mother was away. With the death of Mimi Moon, Mr. Stock assumed he was the one who would care for the boy and doesn't understand why the charges were made of him."

"We are not discussing why the charges were made yet," the judge said simply. "Let me see this paperwork, Mr. Lynch." He was given the papers, looking them over for whatever must state that Jimmy held no right over Austin. Ally thought this was odd. Why didn't his mother have him placed under someone when she was away? Perhaps she trusted Jimmy and thought what would it matter? Never did she probably imagine this would happen, but it was still odd. "Mr. Payzer, is there any written word, or evidence of paperwork stating Mr. Stock was in the process of adopting Austin, or even word that he was the one to care for him?"

"No, sir," Mr. Payzer said. "He was on his way…"

"Okay," the judge said, cutting him off. "I have read through the paperwork from Austin's school records, hospital records, and general state records and Mr. Stock's name is not present on any of these." He looked forward, glancing between the group. "As well as this is quite unsettling of the sorts, that Austin was left in the custody of someone without a legal guardian, it seems that this is the truth. Therefore if Mr. Stock isn't the guardian of Austin, this is not a matter for the family courts. I hereby confirm that in the case of Austin Moon vs. Jimmy Stock, this is a criminal case of court, not family. We will have the paperwork filed and your offices will be told when you are assigned a new date with a new judge as well as a jury. Thank you."

The court was dismissed and the group reunited in the hallway of the court house. "I didn't expect that," Austin admitted to Ally afterwards. "I thought it would have at least given me some peace. Now we have to do it all over again, just with a new judge and even more people!"

"I'll be there if you want me to be," she said with an honest smile. "Just because it's different, it doesn't mean that it's not the same thing. He's still a coward and you're still going to land his butt in jail!"

Austin smiled weakly. "I guess so."

Just before Ally went to reply, a dark shadow appeared behind them and it took Austin tensing to make Ally realize who it was. "Hello, Austin."

Ally stared up at Jimmy, who was wearing an evil smile.

"No…" Austin said. "You can't talk to me…"

Ally crept up next to him, grabbing his arm. "Come on…"

"No…" he muttered. "No!"

Jimmy laughed at his attempts to not be afraid. Where were Trish and Mark?

"Why'd you lie, Austin? I've never done anything to you. You're lying. What a worthless coward. Your mother wouldn't have been proud to see her son a lying coward, would she?"

"Go away," Ally muttered.

"You shut up, bitch," he snapped. "You have nothing to do with any of this."

"Don't you call her that!" Austin yelled. A few guards seemed to take notice, but Austin was already on a roll. "Don't you dare talk to Ally that way! She's a lovely, wonderful girl who I care a lot about and you have no right to talk to her that way! Not only do you not have that right, but you have no right to come anywhere near me right now! You are nothing to me, and I can't wait until your filthy, utter waste of a life is behind bars, rotting, do you hear me?!" He was getting hysterical. Guards started to pull him away and Trish and Mark ran in their direction, but Austin wasn't done. "You may have had my mom in love with you, but if she knew the real you, you would have been on the curb! No man treats another person the way you do! I'm not the coward, you are! I'm going to grow up a real man, one who loves and cares for those around him, not one who uses his size and fists to show who he is! That isn't a real man, that makes you a coward. My mom would be proud of me! No, not only would she have been proud of me, my mom but she would tell me to do something like this." He let go of Ally and darted forward, kicking the man as hard as he could in a spot that made the others around them cringe. "She might not have known what you were doing, but she definitely would have approved of that! She was a firecracker and loved what she did and everything around her! You didn't deserve her at all. Fuck you!"

Ally pulled him away in time for the tears to begin. Jimmy was laughing manically from somewhere down the hallway, his voice almost giving Ally chills. His words meant nothing. Well, to Jimmy. They meant everything to Ally.

"Hey, it's okay," Ally said, pulling him into a hug. "You don't owe him anything, you know what right? You didn't have to do that."

He laughed darkly. "But it felt so good… Ally, that makes me exactly like him," he whispered. "Doesn't it? Oh God, I'm going to turn into him one day…"

"No, no," Ally swore. "You're nothing like him, Austin."

He wiped away his tears as they were led out of the building. "Thanks for coming today, Ally."

"You're welcome." She smiled at him, but the look in his eyes made her worry.

"You're welcome." She smiled at him, but the look in his eyes made her worry.


	25. All About the Girl

**Wow, I'm sorry for the wait of this. The holidays got to me. I was so busy and had no time to myself and I wish I could have updated this so much sooner. Please understand that life can be a pain in the butt sometimes and I can't always write. I've been trying, I promise. This is a short chapter, but I figure it's kind of perfect because it finally reveals something that everyone else seems to know. Hehe. As for the song in the chapter, if you're an R5 fan, you should know it. ;)**

**Thank you for the reviews.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally spent rest of the day at the shelter, staring worriedly at her young friend. He hadn't said much since they got back, and had instead sat in his room, staring at the ceiling. She sighed, stepping away from the room finally. It was all she could take to see him like this. To her surprise Rocky was standing there when she turned around, his eyes focused on the sad looking blond boy.

"Did it go that badly?" he asked with a deep voice.

"Not exactly," Ally replied. "There wasn't much of a court date. It got moved to another court and rescheduled. It was afterwards… Jimmy walked up to Austin and tried to get him riled up. It worked. He said some things, he replied. A fight."

"Is he okay?"

Ally shrugged. "I'm not sure. He doesn't want to talk though and I don't know what to say, anyway."

Rocky followed her down the hallway. "I'd like to get my hands on that man."

"Wouldn't we all?"

He laughed a bit; almost emotionlessly as they sat down on the living room couch. His eyes were dark again, but it wasn't directed at her, so that was all that mattered. "Again, Ally you wouldn't really understand. You'd like to maybe hit him, slap him or something. I know the anger that he feels behind it, and the helplessness."

"I couldn't imagine," she agreed.

His smile twisted into a painful grimace. "Everyday, I wonder what it would be like to stand up to my father and tell him what I really thought of him." He paused, staring at his guitar to the right. "I've even wondered what it would be like to give it back to him… to hurt him like he hurt me. And then when I really think about it, I'm sure he's glad I'm gone. He never came looking for me, did he? At least, not hard enough to find me. I didn't want to be found regardless, but it makes me wonder. Like I said to Austin, he shouldn't break this chance he has. He doesn't have to spend his life wondering… he can know how it feels."

Ally listened with a sad smile of her own, knowing that even as Rocky said this, their situation was still different. Jimmy wasn't Austin's father. Rocky had to deal with knowing his actual father abused him every day and then didn't even care when he finally left. Once Jimmy was out of the picture, Austin could move on. Who was to say how long it would take Rocky to?

"Rocky… I don't know what to say. I'm not going to pretend I do."

He nodded.

"I'm sorry," she added. "For everything you've had to go through. I'm glad you made it here."

He looked up, his hair falling in his face. "Me too."

A few hours passed and Rocky crept away into his own room, dark, menacing guitar riffs floating through the air. She bit her lip at this, figuring it was his way of doing whatever he could do deal with the pain. Now alone again, Ally pondered what to do. There wasn't much else she could do, after all. Her volunteer hours weren't up for another few, and Trish had already explained that she would be in her office with paperwork for a while.

Ally finally decided Riker had ignored her for long enough and paced toward his room. The door was open, not to her surprise and she let herself in, smiling at the boy who was hunched over his notebook and guitar, the song from a few weeks ago sitting in front of him. He closed the book when she entered.

"I hope its okay that I'm in here."

He shrugged.

"I've missed you a lot," she admitted.

This put a smile on his face. _I've missed you too_, he wrote after opening a new page in his book. _I'm sorry that I asked you to leave the other night. I needed my space… I just wish others would realize that_.

Ally sighed. She didn't feel like bringing up Austin right now. Instead, she sat down next to her friend and leaned her head on his shoulder. He again smiled at this.

"So, how is the band thing going? Anything good?"

_Rocky wants to write a song with me. I'm not sure how I feel about that._

"What's wrong with that?" she asked. "You're a great songwriter."

_I'm not sure how I feel about writing with Rocky. He's… well, he's not the easiest person to get along with, now is he?_

Ally laughed. "Well, you've just got to know how he ticks."

He shot her a look at that.

_I guess so, but I mean, do you hear what he's playing right now? Our musical styles are so different. He's so loud._ Riker laughed breathlessly. _I'm… obviously not._

Ally laughed again. "Maybe you'll clash in a good way then. I wouldn't count him out. You're a great songwriter, like I said. Rocky's got the riffs and probably some ideas, too."

_I guess so,_ he repeated. _But I'd much rather write a song with you._

"We still can," she agreed. "Maybe we could even use it for the band."

_I'll let Rocky know about that._

"Sounds good to me," she laughed. "Just don't promise him anything else. Soon enough, he'll hear that, Rydel will start pushing him to get me to sing, and then I'll have to never show my face here again."

Riker smiled but it was obvious he didn't feel the same way about her joke. _You have a good voice… you should use it._

"I'd rather not."

_I'd do anything to sing again… just one time._

Ally felt bad when she read this and smiled sadly at him. "Maybe someday, but not right now. Besides, it's your bad, not mine. I'm happy to watch and enjoy." She patted his arm. "You might not have the voice anymore, Riker but you have the best guitar skills I've seen in a long time. Music isn't my focus anymore, but I can still see it. You know I've been listening to you guys play. You shine bright on that bass of yours. Don't forget that."

_I love you, Ally._

"I love you, too." She got up. "I'm going to see what Trish wants us to do for dinner. I'll see you later?"

He nodded.

Ally sighed. One thing was right, and then it seemed like at least a million others were wrong. Why did that always seem like it was her life? She laughed to herself. Of course it was her life.

A few days passed, and Ally finished her exams and was awaiting her grades to let her know how she did with her last semester of college. These grades were most important. It was hard to focus on this when Austin was still moody and casting himself alone, barely playing with the band, and giving Ally and the others short answers. She was desperate to do something, anything to get the boy smile. She had no idea how to do this though and even Rocky was out of ideas.

It was hard to make someone feel better when they didn't even know how to fix anything that had happened to them.

As Austin sat toward the corner of the room, Riker and Rocky were working on the song Rocky had mentioned. Riker even seemed to be enjoying himself, smirking at the lyrics the boy had written so far. He pushed him seconds later and erupted into silent giggles, his face contorting in such a happy way.

Ally smirked. Who knew they'd get along to write a song? Ellington was watching too, his expression oddly amused. Rydel was just grinning from her seat, playing her fingers off with the happiest of keys to fill the room with. A voice interrupted the jam session. "Austin?"

Ryland was standing in the doorway, holding into a few papers.

He peered up, but didn't move.

"Could you come with me, please?"

Austin didn't move.

"Austin…" Ally started carefully.

He got up in seconds and left the room, leaving all eyes on the empty space where he once was. It remained like this for a few moments and then everything seemed to resume.

"Check out the song, Ally!"

Rocky was grinning.

But Riker wouldn't allow him to show her. He held the notebook above his head, holding it just a few inches of where Rocky couldn't reach. The pout that took over his face was quite the laugh, but the giggles also escaping the boy's mouth made her wonder what was on the page.

"High heels, got a taste for fashion; converse and a fatal attraction!"

Riker plowed his band mate, tackling him to the floor. Rocky was still giggling though, trying to get the lyrics he wanted to sing from his lips.

"She's got that something I'm looking for!"

"Maybe she lives in the city. She may be smart, she may be pretty, she's got that something I'm looking for!"

Riker pushed him again, but he didn't stop.

"Whoever she is, she is out of this world. It's all about the girl that I'll meet on the bus or on the street . It's all about the girl in my mind. That I'll meet one day it's a matter of time. Oh! Hey! It's all about the girl one day I'll find."

Riker had since given up, but was scowling at the brunette in front of him, his arms crossed.

"Brown eyes or blue as an ocean. Don't know what sets an emotion. She'll have that something I'm looking for. I'll search in every direction until I make the connection. She'll have that something I'm looking for!"

Ally stood dumbfounded at what she had just witnessed, as did the two others in the room. Rocky threw his hands up in the air at the look on Ally's face and rolled his eyes. He pointed a finger at the blond boy next to him, shaking his head. "Sorry, bro."

"What?"

Riker sighed, shaking his head. "No," he mouthed.

Rocky glared back at him. "Don't tell me no, damn it!"

"Shut up," he mouthed, his eyes warning him to stop.

Ally stared at the two of them. "What is going on?"

"Really, Ally?"

She blinked. "Um… really."

Another voice from behind her added in, "Ally, I think Riker's trying to tell you something."

Austin stood behind the group, his eyes carefully staring into each member of the room's. His eyes met with Rocky's, who nodded though Ally didn't see. Austin visibly flinched much to no one's recognition and he returned his gaze to the young girl. Riker was looking ready to run at any second, his eyes darting between the other two boys staring at Ally. His lip was quivering and he wished his lips would allow him to say everything he could ever want to, but it would never be.

"I don't understand."

Rocky threw his hands up in the air again. "Ally, you're so damn blind it's not even funny!"

Riker shook his head in one last act of desperation and pleaded with the other two.

"Just tell her," Rocky argued.

Austin leaned back, watching the unspoken words between the two others. Ally stood there, something finally making sense to her. But it couldn't be! How could she not notice this? Maybe this was a trick and the boys thought they were being funny. Of course! Boys did stuff like this all the time… but how was Rocky keeping a smile off his face? It was a joke…

"Ally…"

He couldn't possibly…"

"Maybe you should talk to Riker alone," Ellington said before Rocky could continue. He grabbed both the other two and pushed them from the room, Rydel darting away as well. The rec room seemed way too quiet all the sudden and Riker looked as if he wanted to leave too. Ally stared at him with wide eyes, wondering if she had really missed something as simple as this.

"Is it true?" she asked softly.

His eyes were so wide, so scared and in that moment, she saw a part of Riker she hadn't seen in months and it depressed her. "Oh, Riker," she whispered as tears spilled from his eyes. He seemed ashamed as she looked back to him. "Is it true?"

It was a gentle nod, only one that Ally would pick up on.

Now hearing it, or seeing it from him, it all seemed to come together, the songs, the way he hid the lyrics from her, the way he always wanted to be with her and only her. Moments from the last few months became apparent. Everything made sense.

Ally didn't know what to say.


	26. Different Worlds

**Okay, so it wasn't that long of a wait this time. I'm utterly in love with all of you though, for the reviews on the last chapter. There were over 20 and I can't thank you enough. We've hit 100 alerts as well, and I'm just sitting here because I've never had this kind of support on a story before. THANK YOU. Every single one of you, to those who review every chapter, to those who review once in a while, to those who read and don't review. I love you for getting this story this far. Hoping to break 300 reviews soon... and that is awesome.**

**This chapter introduces another new character. I know it seems like we're getting a lot of them, but don't worry, they all have their place in the story and it is important. This character is one of my favorite real life people of R5 because you can tell how happy this person makes one of the members of R5. If that doesn't give you a hint, read on. And for the record, I ship them. ;) Hehe.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

He went to run, tried to dart past her and leave without a single (even if unspoken) word. She wasn't going to allow this. Sure, she still had no idea what the hell she was going to say, but if there was one thing she was tired of, it was people running. Austin ran. Rocky ran. Ellington ran. Riker wasn't running this time.

He was near the door when she grabbed his shoulders, gently pushing him against the wall. His eyes were lit up in honest fear and his mouth opened and closed several times before he finally gave up and looked away.

"You're not running from me," she whispered in the softest voice she could manage. "Not this time. Not anymore."

Ally sighed. Riker liked her. As in, he really, really liked her. It occurred to her that Say You'll Stay was probably about her, among the other love songs that seemed to litter his notebook. This didn't surprise her… there were plenty of songs about Dallas from years ago she still had put away somewhere. They were both songwriters, when they liked someone, they wrote about it. Her mind continued to dance around every memory of the two of them, trying to find the moments she must have missed. Rocky must have known… how many did know? Guilt flooded her. Did her bosses know?

"Riker, sit down." Ally was trying to clear her head. Despite the fact that he wouldn't look at her, he sat immediately and looked toward the wall. That was Riker's thing. If he didn't want to deal with something, he stared at a wall. Ally had often wondered what went through the mute mind of his, but now she was wondering how often he did this and thought of her.

"Get your notebook," she continued, taking a seat next to him. He did as he was told and she handed him a pen. "I'm not trying to corner you. But you have to realize what was just said can't be ignored, okay?"

He nodded somewhat, his eyes filled with pain. Probably embarrassment as well.

"How long, Riker?"

His eyes shot to hers, as if he was pleading with her to not do this. Her eyes softened at his pain but shook her head. This was her job, not only as a volunteer but as his friend. This couldn't be ignored.

_Probably about five months._

"Five months?" she asked in shock. How had she missed that for so long? Of course, she was a bit naïve at times but really, how did she miss something like this? Rocky must have known for a decent part of it. Maybe he waited until he was sure and then decided to give her hints. Even so… if Rocky picked up on it, how many others did as well?

"Okay, okay." Ally didn't know what the right answer for this was. She loved Riker. She loved Riker more than words could say. He was everything to her, the reason she showed up here everyday, the reason she didn't run herself, the reason she never fully gave up on music… in every sense of the word, she loved him. It just wasn't like that. At least, she didn't think it was. It honestly never crossed her mind, so she hadn't given it much thought.

But even if she had, she worked here. She had a job to do. She couldn't exactly start dating one of the kids she was supposed to look after. Ally cringed inwardly, this would be exactly how she would be asked to leave the shelter and never come back.

_I'm sorry. I should have never… I probably should have just kept it in. I'm ruining everything, this is why I didn't want you to know! You're going to hate me now, everything is going to get weird. We're never going to talk again, and I'm going to lose the one person who I love more than anything in the world._

He was honestly panicking as he wrote, and was shaking more and more as he finished writing. Ally stopped him, shaking her head and looking at him, finally in the eyes. "No, you're not going to lose me, Riker. I've gotten to know you, we've become friends and you're probably the closest thing I have to a best friend, do you understand me? I would never hate you. I could never. I love you, Riker. I love you more than I love anyone else in this world, do you understand me? But you also have to understand why this can't happen. Regardless of whether or not it would work out or not, you have to realize that I work here. I'm here to help you, to help everyone. Not only does that completely compromise everything this shelter stands for, it's completely unprofessional and Trish would probably ask me to never come back here. I love you. That's not going to change. You have to believe me when I say that."

_You can't tell Trish! No, no! Please don't tell her. It's bad enough that everyone else knows, Ally. I can't leave my room again. I'll be the laughing stock of this place. Please, no._

"I won't tell her," Ally promised, pulling him into a hug. It wasn't the exact way she wanted this chat to go, but she had seen his eyes considerably calm in the last few minutes and she deemed him well enough to not go completely crazy if she left the room. Ally stood, knowing there was other things to get to and pulled him up with her. "You're everything to me, Riker. Do you know that? I almost quit the night Dez… well, you know what Dez did. I almost quit. I was so done. I was so done it wasn't even funny anymore. There were only a few factors that kept me at this place. You are one of them. I couldn't do this without you. Do not let me knowing you like me ruin our friendship. Okay?"

He nodded sadly.

_I love you too._

Ally smiled and walked out of the room. As soon as his door closed, Ally looked toward the hallway. She wasn't one to lie to someone like Riker, especially since she did trust him and wanted him to trust her, but her job was on the line here. She couldn't not at least make Trish aware of what just happened. At least if she did know from her, if someone else mentioned it down the line, she would have a sense of what is going on. And Riker didn't need to know.

So, when she entered Trish's office and found both Jackson and Ryland standing inside, she pleaded her case of needing her boss alone. While Ryland left without words, Jackson threw in a few choice words of his own, and glared at her as she closed the door.

"What's up, Ally?" Trish seemed to not really notice what was going on between them anymore. Either that, or she was getting better at pretending she didn't care.

"I need to talk to you about Riker."

"Is he okay?" those words were worried the moment they left her boss's mouth. With everything that had happened lately, they didn't need another to worry about. At least, worry in the sense that something was wrong and needed to be fixed before another war started.

"He's fine," Ally said, figuring that was at least somewhat true.

"Then what is it?" Trish seemed impatient.

"He just told me that he liked me." Before Trish could open her mouth and protest, which she seemed like she was ready to do, she cut her off, "I already told him that nothing can come of that. I explained to him what my job is here and why it wouldn't work and how it would be inappropriate and wrong. I love him, Trish, I really do but it's not like that, and I feel terrible for knowing he likes me in that way and I had no idea, and have no idea how to stop it. I just wanted to let you know so you don't find out from one of the others and think I'm pursuing a relationship with someone here. I'm more professional than that."

Her boss was staring at her with eyes that couldn't be read. Her mouth was in a thin line, and her body didn't move while she seemed to think of whatever would be said next. Finally, she realized. "You handled it very well, I'd say then."

"Thank you," she admitted with a smile. "Please don't tell Riker you know. I told him that I wouldn't tell you. He's very embarrassed."

Trish smiled slightly. "Poor boy."

Ally sighed. "I feel terrible."

"You're doing the right thing and I'm proud of you, Ally. That's something a professional does and you're showing serious potential for someone who has not yet even graduated from college. Once you graduate, as I mentioned before, we'd love to get you trained to maybe do something like this here. No rush," she continued quickly. "I'm just reminding you so you know. The state offers great training programs to those who deserve it and I'd be more than willing to put in a good word."

Before Trish could say another word, Ryland knocked on the door and stuck his head in. "I deeply apologize, Trish, Ally. But there is a young girl at the door of the shelter looking for Ratliff. Well, I think she is looking for him from the description she gave. She says her name is Kelly. Am I allowing her in?"

Trish stood, looking out the window. A young girl stood at the door of the shelter, looking thoughtfully at the yard, her hands placed neatly at her sides. Next to her hands was a shoulder length bag, which seemed to hold something large. The girl was well dressed and her hair was perfectly shaped down her back. Her face seemed kind and loving and Ally wondered what she was doing here, looking for someone as dark as Ellington.

"Let her in," Trish said without another thought. "But ask her to come here first. I'd like to know why she is here."

Ryland quickly agreed to this and ran off. Seconds later, there was a knock on the door. Kelly stood on the other side, her elegant and porcelain like features now in a sense of worry. "Hello," she said in a sure voice, her tone warm and secure. "I'm Kelly Voosen. I go to school with Ellington. I was given this address because he missed a few classes last week and our teacher thought it'd be a good idea for me to come and offer some extra help so he could catch up."

Trish and Ally exchanged a glance. "Oh," Trish said. "Okay."

"I know it's rude of me to show up without any warning and I'm sorry. I just thought…" Her voice trailed off. "I'm sorry, it's terrible of me to assume things about people. I just thought he would live in a … normal house."

"That's okay," Ally said, warming up to the girl. She seemed lovely and a good fit of a friend for the quiet and dark Ellington. Maybe she was okay after all. "Sometimes it happens. I'll show you to his room, if you'd like."

Kelly smiled warmly again, adjusting her bag. "I'd like that. Thank you."'

Ally led her down the hallway, noting the girl's expression as she walked. It was clear when the teacher asked her to give her friend extra help, she thought she would be going to someone's home, not a shelter for homeless kids. For such a well put together girl, she was being remarkably kind about what others would have already made fun of.

"How long have you known Ellington?"

Kelly looked up in surprise to the sound of Ally's voice. "Um, we've had this class now for about the entire year. He didn't talk to me much at first. Even now, he barely talks, but it's much better than it was in the beginning. I think I'm the only person in the class he will even look at." She paused. "I'm Kelly, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself!"

"Ally," she replied, smiling at her. "And that's okay. We're almost to his room. I warn you, he's had a bad few days. I don't mean to scare you, but if he seems distant, it's not your fault."

Ally didn't have to wait long for his reaction because as they neared his door, he went to exit it. His eyes went up to see who was in front of him and the moment they locked on Kelly's, they doubled in size. "What…?" his voice trailed off. "Are you doing here?"

She pulled out what seemed to be a book of some sort. "I came to give you some help on missed work."

"But how…" he muttered, backing away. "No… no."

"Ellington," Ally tried. "It's okay. She's just here because you missed a few days. That's all."

"No," he muttered again. "No. I'm not good enough."

"What?" both Ally and Kelly asked.

"Wait here," Ally said when Ellington darted into his room and closed the door. The girl looked to be in shock, as this probably wasn't what she expected at all at this point. Ally opened the door and shut it, facing a terrified Ellington who was pacing the length of his room.

"No. Make her go away," he muttered.

"Ellington, why don't you want to see her?"

He glared at the girl and shook his head. "I'm not talking about this."

"Well, tough luck because you are," Ally declared, suddenly feeling more in control of herself than she had in a long time. "A girl who apparently cares about you is outside your room right now and wants to see you. She obviously cares about you, and from the way you looked at her, and the way she talked about you, you obviously do too. Don't run from her. It's only a few missed days of work. Let her help you. Maybe you'll enjoy yourself."

Ellington stalked forward and whispered darkly, much to her surprise, "Do you see her, Ally? She's perfect in every sense of the word. Comes from a good family, gets great grades. Lives the perfect life. And she likes me! She went out of her way to talk to me in class, constantly smiles at me and makes me feel good. Do you see me? I'm a fucking drug addict, has no family, and is lucky if I stay awake in class each day. We're not even in the same world, so how do you expect us to be friends?"

Ally was going to say he liked her, but didn't dare scare him even more. "She's here, isn't she?" Ally instead asked. "She could have run the moment she found the shelter, but she asked to see you and is waiting to see you right now. I don't think she cares where you came from, I think she cares about you. I know you're hurt and I know you're scared, but if you walk away from a good thing, you're going to regret it. I can't tell you what to do, but I suggest you don't let her leave."


	27. Beach

**I'm sorry this was a longer wait than I would have liked, but life has a way of being a pain and not allowing me to write, and then writers block thought it would be nice to say hello as well. What jerks! Anyway, I like this chapter even though bits of it seem a bit rushed at times, and there is a "ship" moment in it for one of the two "teams" that seem to have formed.**

**Thank you for the reviews. This story couldn't have come as far as it did without the support of you. Thank you.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

After Ally's speech, Ellington had let Kelly stay, where they worked together in the rec room until she had to leave to meet curfew. His eyes had lit up when she hugged him goodbye, and the boy almost seemed to be in a good mood. Ally had marveled at this, wondering what that girl had in her the rest of them didn't. Inside, her mind was yelling, "he likes her!"

The next few days passed uneventfully, other than Ryland constantly "stealing" Austin whenever he got the chance. They would sneak away to a quiet room where she could hear the soft voice of Ryland and every so often, the reply of the warm hearted boy she grew to love so much. She was very curious to what was going on, but no one would mention it to her. Trish had politely declined to comment, and Jackson and her weren't on terms to even look at each other anymore.

Ally had given up on that and had spent her time with Rocky, who was also growing to be one of her favorite people. He still had his moods and when he was in one, it was almost impossible to talk with him… but when he wasn't, the boy was hilarious. He loved his music and his knack for listening, and when he combined the two, beautiful things happened.

This was just what Ally was witnessing when Rydel rushed into the room after hours of school one day, her entire face flushed and her hair a mess. She looked briefly between the two, who were slaving over his music book, and glared playfully at Rocky. "Out of the room! It's girl talk time!"

He put up his hands. "Okay, okay!"

Ally laughed as he darted away, leaving her with the flustered Rydel. She sat down on the couch next to her, her eyes smiling and shining, proving something good had happened to her during school that day. She didn't say anything yet though, but played with her necklace.

"What's up, Ry?"

Rydel loved being called Ry. She had insisted upon it about a month previous, as she thought having a nickname for each other meant they were close friends. AllyBean was hers. She didn't quite understand hers, but went along with it anyway. It made the young girl happy, and happiness was hard to see in a place like the shelter.

"I have a problem. I mean, it's a good problem but it's a problem. You see, I went to this café after class today with a friend, right? I know I should have told someone here, but it was all so exciting and we had a late lunch and there were these boys, Ally. One of them was tall and blond, he wasn't that friendly. But there was this brunette and he was the most adorable boy I've ever laid eyes on. And that's not the best part!" The girl looked ready to burst with excitement. "He came up to me! Me! No boy ever looks at me… you know, I'm not the best to look at. I don't mind, my scars make me beautiful but some boys don't understand that, but he didn't care! He came up to me and told me I was absolutely stunning and my smile lit up the entire room. He told me he'd like to take me out to a movie, and gave me his number. I texted him the entire way home and I can't believe it happened! He is wonderful!"

Ally could have cried watching the somewhat reserved girl (for those outside the shelter) talking like this. She loved to make friends, but sometimes it was tough. People weren't always nice about appearances… whoever this boy was; he must have made her feel very special.

"That's great, Ry!"

"I know, I'm so excited. He told me he'd let me know when it was good for him, and I said the same. I know I still have to let Trish know, but she couldn't say no, right? I mean, I'm seventeen and it's just a movie! I'll be home early and we won't even kiss on the steps! Well, not that it would matter… it's not like Jackson or Ryland are going to walk out there and yell at him for kissing me! I could kiss him, couldn't I? Oh, Ally he's so wonderful. I think he goes to my school, but I'm not sure. He looks a bit older, but not by much. He says that he's seen me around at school for a while now… I guess that means he is from the area! I'm so excited. What should I do? What should I wear? Oh, Ally, please take me shopping! You always pick out such nice outfits!"

Ally had to laugh. "Okay, I'll take you shopping but remember, you haven't even picked a day yet to meet up with him. I'm happy you met someone, I really am. How about you go talk to Trish about it and I'm going to see what the others are up to."

She nearly jumped from the room and left Ally laughing to herself again. She got up, stretched and walked toward the hallway, only to run into Kelly. "Oh! I'm sorry!" The young girl looked up, her polite and warm features warming to the color of pink. "I didn't see you! Is Ellington in? I don't… well, he's all caught up now, but I wanted to… you know… see him?"

Love was in the air, Ally thought to herself, and peeked into Ellington's room. He was resting on his bed, tapping his fingers on an old desk to his left. "Yes, he is. One second."

"Ellington? Kelly's here."

He nearly jumped up too, darting out of the room. They talked for a moment in quiet and then the boy turned to Ally. "Do you think it would be okay if I went for a walk?"

"I don't see why not," Ally said warmly back, smiling at the pair.

He didn't take another moment to hear this and began to walk toward the door with the girl.

Ally just shook her head. Everyone else seemed happy… but what about the others? Were they happy? She highly doubted it. The other two of the group that she considered some of her closest friends were probably far from happy. Riker had continued to avoid her at any cost, and Austin? He continued to be distant to all of those around him.

A knock on the door of the shelter stopped her in her tracks and she gracefully made it to the door and opened it to reveal a police officer. "Hello. I'm looking to speak with Trish Pereez, if you wouldn't mind. I'm Officer Riley with the Miami Police Department." He paused thoughtfully, smiling at her. He seemed like a kind man, from the look in his eyes.

"One second." Trish was in her office with Ryland, discussing some of the group when she walked in and explained there was someone at the door. She stood quickly, walking over in seconds.

"Thank you, Miss." Officer Riley turned to face the older woman and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry I've showed up in person without notice, but I thought you would like to be the first to know of this development. My captain asked me to bring it right over." A paper from inside his jacket was revealed, looking like an old case file.

Ryland appeared at her side. "Why are the police here?"

"I don't know. There is some paper he just gave Trish. It looks like a case file from what I can tell. She's reading it now."

Her face sunk in seconds and she looked back to the frowning officer with distressed eyes. "Are you sure of this?"

He smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid so, Miss. These were directly from the DA's office, sent to my Captain, and given to me. I'm terribly sorry to have to deliver the bad news."

"Um… I'll be in touch. Thank you very much." The officer excused himself and closed the door, leaving the flustered Trish standing in the hallway, holding the papers to her chest. She noticed her audience and sighed, walking toward them. Placing the papers in Ryland's hands, who immediately went over them, her mood seemed to continue to worsen. "This is terrible."

"Why?" Ryland asked, his voice sounding oddly confused for once. He always was so sure of himself, so put together. Even this seemed to throw him. But what was it? "Is it really necessary?"

"I don't think so, but apparently Stock's lawyers think it is. He's just a kid, he was upset. Can't the law understand the hell he's been through? I don't get justice. I honestly don't."

Ally finally managed the courage to ask, "What's going on?"

"Remember how Jimmy intimidated Austin at the court hearing and he kicked him?"

"Yes."

"Well, Jimmy would like to press charges."

Ally had to laugh. "That's ridiculous! He was practically endangering a witness to a trial! He had no reason to even say a word to Austin, let alone even come up to him. It can't stick, can it? Austin is a kid and he was defending himself."

"There are other ways to defend yourself other than violence," Ryland commented, earning looks from the two girls. "Not that I am condemning young Austin either. I understand why he felt obligated to do what he did. I just can understand why it happened. If you ask me, Stock provoked him with the knowledge that his step son would react. He knew if he got him enraged enough, the boy would defend his own. It was a ploy to put favors on his side. I can see the case now… Austin was hard to live with, was violent and angry with Stock. He would claim injuries and place blame on an innocent man… it is sincerely a lie, but the courts won't know that."

Ally felt sick hearing it play out in front of her. Couldn't everyone see what a terrible man that Stock was? He was lower than anyone she had ever met before. He didn't deserve to have his moment in court, let alone this. "This can't happen. Austin can't handle that."

"He's going to have to," her boss commented softly. "He's going to have to state the blame on his abuser and explain what happened. He has no choice. It's the only way to get justice for what he's done."

"He can't handle it," she repeated pathetically. "You've seen what happened just from the hearing, Trish! Isn't there anything you can do?"

"I can suggest tampering with a witness to Mark, but I'm just not sure how it will hold up. This was planned carefully. We can hope for the best, but I'm just not sure how fate will hold this."

Ally groaned, rolling her eyes. If people who were so evil could get away with such lies, what did it prove to those who were true? Why did the justice system seem to have such flaws? Angered, she darted away from the adults and stalked toward her makeshift room, forgetting in the process that Riker had been staying in there. She nearly collided with the boy, and tripped forward to avoid hurting them both.

"Ow," she muttered, dusting off her knees as she stood again. "I'm sorry, Riker."

He shrugged his shoulders.

Ally cringed as he left the room, leaving her alone. In a moment of frustration, she growled and flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. It wasn't her fault! How was she supposed to know he liked her? And now she couldn't make him act like he used to! Not that she expected him to go back to the carefree Riker she knew before all of this, but she missed her close friend.

"Having a bad day?"

Austin Moon stood in the door, watching her with amused eyes. Ally sat up as he walked over to her bed and sat down, still curling those lips into a warm smile. That was refreshing, to say the least.

"Not a bad day, more like a bad… I don't know. It's just life. I can take it as it is, or just shut up, I guess."

He laughed a little. "Oh, Ally."

"What?" she giggled.

"You make me happy," he said simply. "The way you act, the way you react. I enjoy you."

"Thanks," she answered. "I think."

"You're welcome." He paused. "I'm sorry for acting the way I have been. It all seemed to come at me at once, and I'm not saying I know what the hell I'm doing, but I'm trying to piece together the mess that is my life."

"You're doing fine, Austin. You've got a lot going on. It's only natural for you to want to be alone sometimes. A lot of other people wouldn't be as happy as you are."

"A lot of it is fake smiles," he admitted, both to himself and to her. "I mean, I love everyone here. I just… it's been a lot tougher than I thought. The group therapy is actually the easiest… talking about it doesn't really bother me. It's facing what I'm talking about that makes me nervous. Jimmy… he had me for so long, you know?"

"I can't say I can understand, Austin. I really can't but you're incredibly brave and determined. You may think it's a fake smile and appearance, but you make everyone around you happy. You dancing in the mall made my day and you can tell you enjoy performing. I know I've said it before, but this band could be the best thing that has happened to any of you."

He nodded his head, agreeing with her. "I like the band. I just wish we all could get along for a moment."

"It's tough," she agreed. "You know you've got a lot of personalities in one band."

"Do you want to go to the beach?" he asked suddenly.

His entire face was lit up in true happiness.

Ally laughed a little. "I guess that would be okay. Why?"

"I thought maybe I could show you something. It would take me away from this mess and we could have some fun." He got up and looked toward the door. "I'll be right back. Meet me outside in five minutes. I've got our afternoon planned."

As Austin left, Ally sighed. Her smile was gone and she knew it was only a matter of time before he found out about Jimmy's plans to tear him down further. A part of her wanted to tell him herself, but she also was tired of bringing the bad news to the group. Let Trish do it, and let her be the reason he's able to smile.

"This was not what I had in mind when you said go to the beach," she said a few minutes later, staring at the object Austin was holding in front of him with the biggest smile on his face. He was dressed in a wetsuit and holding a surf board. His entire smile crashed to the floor at the look on her face.

"Why not? Surfing is awesome!"

"There are sharks in the water, Austin! And the rip currents can be terrible. And what if you get a cramp? You'll be stuck in the ocean with no way to swim back because you'll be in pain. There are so many factors that can lead to trouble here, and I don't know if I'm okay with any of that!"

"Ally, the chances of you getting attacked by a shark is nearly non existent. If you get caught in a rip current, you swim parallel. And if you get a cramp, I'll swim you back to the shore. This is fun… let's enjoy ourselves. God knows we deserve it!"

"I don't know…"

"Do you trust me?" he asked seriously.

Ally looked at the eager blond boy in front of her and sighed. "Yes, I trust you."

"Then, come on. You'll love it."

Austin was a natural. Ally, on the other hand, was much too stiff to even begin to get what surfing was all about. Her stiff muscles and terrified demeanor was making it awfully hard for Austin to show her how to surf, let alone even let him surf. Every time he would catch a great wave, she would panic and begin to think about terrible ways they could get hurt.

Ally sighed as they bobbed in the water. "Is there a trick to this?"

"No." He laughed and looked at the soaked girl, shaking his head. "I'm going to ask you again, Ally. Do you trust me?"

"Yes…"

Before she had a chance to ask why, he pushed her off the surfboard and into the water. She went under instantly, the salt water burning her eyes and making her sputter as she reached the surface. Her mouth was open in shock as Austin laughed at the sight he had just created.

"What was that?!"

"Did you notice that you came right back up? You float, Ally. You're not going to get hurt if you fall into the water. The surf board is attached to you. I'm right here. Just try and do what I say and you'll see that no matter what happens, you'll be fine. I wouldn't allow it otherwise." She was still angry with him, but decided to try what he was saying. She leaned onto the surfboard, using Austin's help to get situated. He sat behind her, holding onto her waist as the waves bobbed past. His eyes were scanning the next few, trying to find the perfect one that would fit the timid Ally. Finally, he found one, and got off the board. He quickly explained the process again as he swam toward the shore and watched her attempt to stand. The wave came seconds later and she nearly made it all the way to where he was waiting before crashing into the water.

But when she came up this time, she was smiling. "Please tell me that counts as me actually surfing!"

"Close enough!" he agreed with a huge smile on his face. "Great job!" He reached over and placed his arms on her back, pulling her into a hug. They remained locked like this for a few seconds until she remembered they were in the water and people were watching and she was supposed to keep him happy. Ally let go and looked at him. He had the itching in his eyes to surf.

"Go ride some waves, I've gotten my fill."

He fought her for a moment but then agreed, taking the surf board and watching her swim to the shore. At first, he did simple waves, just to show Ally how it worked. Then, his ego got to him and he took more daring ones toward the shore, attempting to remember the tricks a cousin showed him a long time ago in Hawaii. A storm was coming soon, and the waves were getting larger and more dangerous to maneuver. He was desperately showing off to his friend, and he wanted to prove that he was good at what he showed her.

The wave coming his way was definitely more than he could handle, but he figured with his best friend in tow and his own decent moves, he could at least get half way there. But he overestimated himself and went into the wave too soon, causing him to crash mid moment and fall directly into it.

Ally watched in horror as the board literally snapped and Austin went head first into the wave, his body disappearing below the surface. She stood from her spot in the sand, running toward the water, waiting for him to bop up at any second. As time went on and no blond boy was seen, her heart began to race. A minute passed. Where was he?

Luckily for her, someone else noticed.

"Miss, is your friend in the water still?" another young man asked, grabbing his own board from where it sat. She nodded her head in fear. "Hold on, I'm going out for him!"

Ally watched as the boy swam into the water, plunging head first into the waves. Several waves pushed him back, but he didn't stop. He disappeared for a moment himself, but then she saw his dark hair and from the looks of it, a motionless figure dragging behind him. Her heart jumped into her throat.

"Austin!" she screamed, running toward the boy dragging her friend onto the sand.

She kneeled down beside him, noticing he was not reacting to anyone. His eyes were closed and his lips were already turning a pale blue. "Oh God," she muttered.

"Miss, do you know CPR?"

In the midst of all of this, she had forgotten that she did. In alarm, she nodded her head and tried to recall all she had been taught in what to do if something like this happened. Checking for a pulse, her mind continued to panic and she pushed his head back to clear his airways. She apologized to Trish in her head for allowing the boy to drag her here and prayed that it wasn't too late.

She pushed two breaths into his mouth and then pushed down on his chest. Nothing happened.

Tears were in her eyes at this point. "Try again," the boy demanded.

She repeated her actions, continuing to pray to God that someone would help.

Nothing.

Ally swore, something she hardly ever did and continued her fight. A fourth time, nothing. Austin was nearing three minutes without air.

A fifth time seemed to be the lucky number and Austin shot up like a rocket and expelled water to his right. His body began to shake next to her, as the remaining contents from inside his lungs disappeared.

The boy backed up, feeling he was no longer needed and Ally moved to comfort her probably terrified friend.

"Austin?" she asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Remind me to never try to impress a girl ever again," he whispered shakily, though a small smile was on his face.

Ally threw her arms around the boy. "Oh, thank God."

"Thank you," he whispered as they hugged.

"Next time, you listen to me," she muttered.

He laughed a little. "Next time, we're going to see a movie."

Ally agreed to this and helped him to his feet. "Let's get you home."

They began to walk toward the car, Ally allowing Austin to lean on her so he could regain his strength. His lips began to curve into a smile. "Hey, Ally?"

"Yeah?"

"Does that qualify as a kiss?" he asked.

Ally resisted the urge to push the teasing boy.


	28. Opportunity

**I'm so sorry the updates are coming far and inbetween. I don't mean for this at all. I just can't seem to break past this writer's block more than a few words. There are scenes I've had planned since the beginning we're nearing, but until then, it's just a serious pain in the butt! I don't like leaving you guys for weeks on end and you all treat me so well with your reviews and I know you're going to stop reading if I don't update. I'm sorry. Please stick with me. I'm trying to break this stupid writer's block.**

**As for the story, I'd like to remind everyone once again, the main story is not a love story. It's about life and the shelter... but Austin is of course a major player in this as you can see. It never said on the summary it was all about him, or was Auslly promised. With that said, it doesn't mean there won't be any of it. I have not yet decided on an ending to this story. There are so many different sections of this story which still need to be tightened and such, that you haven't even seen all of what is to happen yet. There is a lot more to come. A lot more of the court dates, a lot more of Rilly tension, some Kellington! (I love Kellington... sorry to those who wanted Rydellington.) But you'll also see something exciting in this chapter. I'm VERY excited for this as it's what I think part of this story is really about.**

**ONTO THIS,**

**PLEASE READ THIS. I need a name for the band. We obviously can't go with R5 since Ross is Austin and not Ross, so it needs to be something else. If anyone has any ideas, tell me. If I pick your band name, you will get something special. I don't know what it is as of yet, but I want to hear your ideas. Best band name gets something awesome!**

**As always, thank you for the reviews. AND IT'S TIME TO GET LOUD!**

**Okay, onto the story.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

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After Trish nearly attacked the both of them (but mainly Ally) for their stupidity, off to the hospital Austin and Ally went. Austin had insisted he was fine, but the more she thought about it… he was still pale, and it was never a bad thing just to be sure.

"I don't want to see this place again," he muttered as they sunk into the old ER waiting room chairs.

"Well, after today, we won't."

"I'm fine," he attempted once more, giving her a pleading look.

"I believe you, Austin but I'm not disobeying Trish. And it doesn't hurt to make sure."

He scowled at her and shoved his hands behind his head, closing his eyes.

"I know it doesn't bring up good memories…"

"You have no idea, Ally." His answer was so short, she immediately and involuntarily gasped.

He cringed as his eyes opened, and cringed again at the look on her face.

"I'm sorry."

"No, Ally. Don't be. I didn't mean it the way it was said." He paused. "I just… I wanted today to be fun but it seems like nothing can be fun anymore without something messing it up!" He slammed his hands into his thighs and sighed. "Don't listen to me, I'm just frustrated and I'm tired."

"Nothing wrong with venting," she said honestly. "It's better than not saying it, Austin. Don't worry about a thing you've said. We've both had a long day and we're overdue for some serious good times. It'll come."

Austin was cleared nearly two hours later and they retreated to the shelter, where he gloated the entire way. Gone was the frustrated and sad boy from before. "Would you stop?" she laughed. After he did this for several more minutes, Ally decided to round up the group to watch a movie. She knew it was only moments before the fake happiness would be shattered again, and everything would go back to the broken place the shelter was. Something would happen, whether it be Austin's new problems, or one of the others.

But as Ally sat in the living room, surrounded by a group of completely amazing teens, she couldn't help but smile. Maybe it wasn't so bad.

A lack of presence hurt her though. No matter who talked to him, Riker wouldn't come watch the movie.

As the others giggled over the comedy on the screen, Ally's eyes were on the room down the hall, the light reminding her one of their own didn't want to enjoy their night.

As the popcorn dwindled, so did everyone else. One by one, they went toward their rooms, wishing her a goodnight. Finally, she was left with Rocky, who was too watching the dimly lit room down the hall. "It's his loss," he said suddenly, shaking his head. "I told him when I realized he liked you that it could never happen. He's ruining what you two have by doing this."

"It's not that simple, Rocky."

"Yeah, well other people can be adults, maybe Riker should try it."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ally asked.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. It's not important."

"Rocky?"

He left the room before she had a chance to ask again what he was talking about.

"I have good news and bad news."

"Okay," Ally said carefully, looking to her co workers as their boss sat in front of them, a smile on her face. They were all crowded in her office the next day, a team meeting of sorts. Jackson looked bored, but it was probably a show for Ally. Ryland, of course was listening intently.

"The bad news is I have to talk to Austin about what happened today." Trish looked like she would rather dive into a lake full of sharks. "But, in light of this, we do have some good news. I was talking with one of my bosses, and she mentioned there is an opening bash at the beach in a few weeks, and they're looking for performers to help raise money to make the beach look nice for the summer. It would be free, but she asked if the band would be willing to try and play a small show. I know it's asking a lot, considering who we are dealing with, but I thought it might be the therapy they need… a push of sorts to make them realize they're actually working towards something."

"I think that's awesome!" Ally stated before he boss even finished the statement.

Even Jackson had to agree. Ryland silent nodded his head.

"I knew you would love it, Ally," she laughed warmly. "But I think so too. They've been playing as friends, but if they were playing as actual artists, even for something as small as this, maybe they'll come together." Trish smiled, proud of herself for planning something like this. "I haven't said yes yet, as I wanted your opinions, but I guess once everyone else agrees, we can go ahead with this. Ally, this is where you come in. You're the most musically inclined, and I'd like you to be their guide over the coming weeks. I can't imagine them saying no to this, as they all love music. You can work with the lyrically gifted of the group, maybe plan a few songs. Upbeat stuff, things that will make a crowd want to dance. Are you okay with that?"

She couldn't say no. It was a great opportunity for not only the group, but for the shelter as well. And, it would be fun to help plan something like this, without having to take any real credit but still enjoy herself.

"This is great. I'm excited!"

Her boss grinned, looking to the boys. "Okay, wonderful. I'm going to call Austin into the office in a few minutes. Jackson, would you mind driving Oliver and Jade to the single therapy session they have tonight? Normally, I do but I need to be here. Ryland, please meet with Ratliff. He's been doing a lot better since that girl has been coming here."

Ally was left in the room with the other woman. "What do you want me to do? I'd rather tell them as a group."

"I agree." Trish sighed. "I would like you to stay in here, actually. You and Austin are very close and I think it would be good for him to have someone else in his corner."

Ally swallowed, not feeling confident enough to be in the room for this. But if Trish thought it would suit him well, she would. Trish left to get him and she thought back over the weeks and how close she had gotten to the poor boy. She prayed this wouldn't be too tough for him and they could work through it as a family of sorts. It was true, they were his family now, and he had all of them in his corner. Not just Ally.

"Hey, Ally." Austin took a seat next to her, looking in her eyes for a reason he was there. Trish sat down behind them, and placed a small smile on her face. He sensed something was wrong, eyes darting between the two. As they exchanged their own looks, Ally sighed, closing her eyes. "What's wrong, guys? Why did you call me in here, Trish?"

She smiled sadly at him. "We have some bad news, Austin."

"Okay."

He seemed content with this. Trish sighed too now, shaking her head. "An officer with the Miami Police Department stopped by yesterday, he gave me a few papers that have to do with your case. Jimmy is attempting to press charges for what happened after the hearing last week, Austin. I know it seems ridiculous, but he's trying to scare you. We're going to fight this, I promise you and if we're able to prove it the charge won't stick. I don't want this, none of us do, but our hands are tied. It's going to take some digging, and probably some long nights for Mark, but we should get past this. I called him earlier, he's ready to fight. We can do this."

Austin had closed his eyes and did not make a sound. The two girls stared at him, wondering what could be going through his mind. Finally, his eyes slowly opened. "Okay."

"What?" Ally asked, completely thrown off by his answer.

He turned to look at her. "This is nothing new to me, Ally. He's always used intimidation to try and mess with me, and this is something he would do regardless if I actually touched him or not. He's going to find a way to play this in his favor. It's…" he trailed off, looking toward the door. "It's going to be tough, I know. I can't say I'm happy to hear this, but he's not going to ruin something else for me."

"Good for you," Trish said with a warm smile. "In that case, that's all we really have to tell you. I've talked with Mark and they're looking to bring you guys in for statements in a few weeks, and of course, we have the actual trial coming up."

"Okay," he repeated. "That's fine."

He left the room after a moment, leaving Ally and Trish to look at each other. "Well, that was relief to hear," Ally admitted. She dismissed herself and went to gather the others. There was good news to counter this bad news.

Seated on the couch a few hours later, with Riker, Austin, Rocky, Ellington, and Rydel all sitting around her, Ally couldn't help but smile. It had taken a while to get everyone to come, and some serious convincing on Trish's behalf, but Riker had shown up too. She was holding the papers that covered what the concert would entail and smiled at the group. Her excitement was shining through.

"We have really great news for you guys. A great opportunity, as well."

"What is it?" Rydel asked. The girl returned her wide smile and was eagerly listening to what her friend had to say.

Ally began to hand out the papers. The page read, "Miami to hold concert in benefit for local beaches" and described what events were already confirmed.

"That sounds fun. Are we going?"

"I never want to go to the beach again," Austin muttered with a laugh.

Ally shook her head. "Well, yes we can go to this but we have been asked for something very special. You see, they're having live bands perform the entire night in order to raise extra money. They're all local artists, and Trish has a friend who works for this part of town. She asked if you guys would like to play a few songs. It would be free, but you would get exposure, and you would be a real band, performing for a real audience. It's still a few weeks away, but we could do it."

She studied the group and then added, "But that's not up to me, it's up to you guys. It's a great chance to show what you can do, and I think it would help all of you a lot."

The group went silent as they all considered what had just been suggested to them. All eyes seemed to become excited at the idea of performing in front of a real crowd.

"I think it sounds awesome," Ellington was the first to say, much to everyone's surprise. "I mean… we do sound good together."

"Yeah," Rocky agreed. "And with a little extra practice, we could really pull it together. I could work with Riker and Ally on some songs, and we could totally perform a rock concert!"

Rydel and Austin began to talk about ideas, leaving the group to quickly make their own conversations.

"I'm happy you guys agree," Ally cut in with a laugh. "But we need to make sure you all want in… I'll be working with you guys over the next few weeks, making sure we're prepared and have everything set up. What do you say?"

Four heads nodded their replies and all eyes fell on the final person. Riker stared back at Ally, his eyes emotionless. It made her sad, but she prayed the boy wouldn't say no. It would be fantastic for someone to finally hear him play. "What do you say, Riker?" she asked softly.

He glanced at the excited eyes around him, and then seemed to give in. "Okay," he mouthed.

All cheered.

"Okay, this is great!" Rydel yelled. "Now what?"

"Hey, wait a second," Rocky cut in too. "What about a band name? They're going to introduce us on the stage, I'd assume and we don't have an actual name for our band."

"We don't have to decide yet," Rydel suggested. "It's still a few weeks away. We should just let it sink in for a bit and then come up with a name. Until then," she turned to Ally. "We now have a serious reason to go shopping! I can't wait. Can we go tomorrow? You know… for both?" Her hopeful look reminded her that the girl had a date in a few days.

Ally grinned. "Of course."

And the mall was where Ally found herself the next day, following around the excited Rydel like a slave, carrying the bags that had been tossed into her arms hours ago. When she had told Ally she saved all her money for years for a moment like this, she had thought the girl was joking. Much to her surprise, Rydel had over $500 saved and was seriously tearing a path into the mall with her name on it.

"Are we done yet?" Ally asked with a laugh. "I think you've bought half the mall, Ry."

"Not yet!" she cried excitedly. "I still have a few more stores and I want to stop for lunch!" Pausing, she looked at her phone. "Which sounds good about now, don't you think? I'll pay!"

And she rushed off again, nearly dragging the exhausted Ally with her. It took a few minutes to decide on food in the food court, but they were soon seated and surrounded by her bags. Rydel was practically beaming and barely seemed fazed by their exciting morning, but she couldn't be blamed. Her date was that night, after all. Ally could conclude her date would involve helping the young girl pamper for it and she would feel proud to watch her leave that night with the boy. Who she still hadn't met yet, but figured he had to be great.

"What is his name, anyway Ry?"

"Taylor," she said with a happy sigh. "He's so nice. He said he'd pick me up at seven. Do you think I should wear one of the dresses I bought? I'm a little nervous since it is just a movie. But he said we'd probably stop for dinner before that… so maybe I should wear a dress. Or I could go casual. I really don't know how this stuff works, Ally. What did you do on your very first date?"

"Chew on my hair a lot, and accidentally punch Dallas in the face," she admitted without thinking.

Rydel stared back at her with a look of shock. "Huh?"

"Don't ask," she laughed. "Young Ally was not very collected. He was much more popular than I was, and I was terrified of making a mistake. I no longer chew my hair, but it was a bad habit I had when I was a bit younger. And then we were bowling and I swung backwards too far as he tried to help, and I punched him. But you're much more together than I am. So, don't worry."

"What would you have given as advice on your blog?"

Ally smiled at her question. "I forgot you used to read that. Well… I probably would have told the person to relax and just be themselves. Let your date lead the way and have fun. Don't over think it, and enjoy yourself. If you're putting up a fake image, more than likely he's going to figure that out eventually and you won't have a real relationship. If you're you, you will wow him from day one and it'll be perfect in its own way."

Her smile faded, "And if it's not perfect?"

"Then he's not the one." Ally took a sip of her drink and smiled. "Don't worry, Ry. He's going to love you."


	29. Return

**It took me hours last night to come up with what to do with this chapter. Not the chapter itself, but where it was going. I know the end is a cliff hanger, but I've been very nice with this story and haven't left you that many, so it seems like it's okay to give you a cliff hanger now. Sorry! ;) But I think you'll enjoy this one, well some of you. You were asking about it! Not much to say about the chapter. I have some favorite moments now planned with this and I'm excited.**

**Thank you for the reviews. You're all awesome.**

**ONTO THE BAND NAME CONTEST. I've decided that I'll pick my top names and let you all decide. With that said, all those who made my top list will get a mention of their name in the story. If I list your penname, please send me a name you'd like to use, or your real name. Either is fine. Here are the finalists! And my reasons for picking them.  
1. randomsmileyperson and the suggestion of LOUD.  
If you also suggested this, please don't get mad. Some of you did as well, but I used the first one that reviewed. I think this is a great idea because it's as close as you can get to R5 without it being that name.  
2. R5ismysoul and the suggestion AT NERVES END.  
And this one I love because it fits the band perfectly. While Loud is awesome and makes sense, I think this name fits the band I've created a lot more. They are always on edge.  
3. lilirocks247 and INDIRECT OBJECTS.  
Similar reason to above. It seems to fit the band as a group of people who are considered to be a 'fuck up' type of group.  
4. Just another hedgehog (sorry your name is easier to type that way) and DAY BY DAY.  
Now, her actual entry was in another language, but you can't really have that because none of the band would have a reason to know that, but I like the way it sounds anyway. It fits them working toward being happy day by day.**

**AND THERE ARE MY FAVORITES. If you would like to vote, you can do so in reviews, or message me and let me know. Whoever gets the most votes and wins their band name, will get a one shot from me on here and you can either have any Austin and Ally story you'd like, or any R5 story you'd like. I'll let the voting go for the NEXT TWO CHAPTERS. The winner will be told by me when they have won. SO VOTE SO WE HAVE A BAND NAME!**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally arrived the next day at the shelter to find the entire band in the rec room, going over what they could sing at the concert. She watched for a while, marveling on how simple it really was it get them to work together. A love of music, and some pure determination was working wonders. She didn't dare interrupt… especially considering she knew the moment Riker saw her, he would run. And the band working together was much more important than anything else she could add in right then.

She slipped toward the office, nearly colliding with Jackson in the process. He grumbled a reply, giving her a look. Ally nearly screamed and pulled him back toward her, tired of his games. She pushed her finger into his chest, shaking her head. "I thought we were over this childish shit, Jackson. Stop acting like I'm your enemy. Your brother's relationship with me has nothing to do with our relationship, and definitely has nothing to do with our job. I'm not a child, nor are you. I'd like to work together without having to argue all the time. You're good at your job, and I'd much rather have you on my side. Can we just let this slide?"

He didn't answer, but kept walking past her, eyes focused on the ground.

"Immature!" she called after him, shaking her head. "You're being ridiculous!"

"I think something is wrong with him, Ally."

Ally turned to see Ryland watching her, shaking his head at the other man. "What?"

"I've noticed the last few days… he's been exceptionally unfocused and rude to even those he never is to. Something seems wrong. I can't figure out what it may be."

Her eyes softened for a moment, wondering what could have happened. "Well, he doesn't have to take it out on us. He's supposed to do his job."

"I don't disagree," Ryland stated. "I'm simply suggesting an opinion."

Ally thought about this after the other man left, leaving her in what was now Austin's room. She was seated on the other bed, staring at the window, trying to piece together everything about everyone and all the problems each had. When it got her no where, she decided to do what she did best: write some music. If no one else had come into the room, she would have written for hours. It had been such a long time since she really wrote something for herself, to put her mind on paper and her thoughts at ease.

"Oh, shit."

Ally looked up at the sound of another voice. "Oh. Hey, Austin. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just looking for a place to relax."

"I forgot you were the original owner of this room," he chuckled, setting down his guitar on his bed. "Sorry I took it over."

"Not a problem," she said simply, closing her book. She couldn't write with anyone else watching her. "How was the practice?"

"You saw that?"

She smiled.

He laughed at the look on her face and sat down next to her. "Not bad. Rocky and Riker worked on some lyrics and I worked with Ratliff on some beats we could do. Rydel keeps looking off to the wall with this look on her face. I swear she's in love or something."

"Or something," Ally laughed. "Don't worry about her. She'll be fine. Do you think you guys can do this?"

"I say so." He paused, looking a bit sheepish. "I feel like Riker won't even look at me though. I mean, he wasn't all that thrilled about having to talk to Rocky either, but he won't even give me a chance to help." He paused again, and laughed. "Well, not that I'm much help with lyrics. I'm a terrible song writer. Always have been."

"Don't worry about Riker either. That's just how he is." Ally sighed inwardly hearing what Austin had to say. It wasn't fair to him, or anyone else that he was taking out their problems on rest of the group. She made a note to talk to him later, somehow convince him to stop acting the way he was. She knew it would probably be in vain though, considering you couldn't just talk someone out of love. Something had to be done though. He had to understand that this couldn't happen.

"Well, I'm going to hang out with Rocky some more, and see if we can maybe pull a real song out of the beats and the lyrics. I'll see you later." He grabbed something off the desk next to the bed and took off, without his guitar. She was going to call to him and remind him he'd probably need that, but shrugged. Maybe they would use Rocky's.

It only took seconds for another voice to break the comfortable silence. "Ally, help! I'm having a fashion crisis!"

Rydel looked a mess. She was near tears as she stared at all the clothes on her bed, most of them new. She had tons of make up and all her other accessories she found important to use scattered around the clothes. Her eyes were in desperation as she pleaded with the older girl. "Help me. I don't know what to wear, or what to do! He's going to be here in an hour."

Ally went to laugh, but stopped herself. Everyone did this for their first date, so it was nothing new. It was a relief that it wasn't her this time, though. Just as she was about to say something, another soft voice said, "I could help, if you'd like."

Kelly was peeking into the doorway, her eyes timid but also friendly.

Ally smiled at her. "That would be great. The more girls to help, the better. I'm sure we've all been there and could offer some help, right?"

The first date freak out would be handled. "Wait…" Rydel stopped them. "Do you think if Trish isn't busy, she could help too?" The girl smiled softly. "She used to help me dress up when we were younger. I want her here."

And so began the next hour of chaos. Ally worked on the outfit for her, while Kelly did the fidgeting girl's make up. Tossed aside were the many dresses that she had bought, and brought forward were some of the many nice clothes she already had.

"No need to have to dress up on the first date. It's not like you're going to a fancy dinner." Ally smiled at the sad looking girl. "You're going to a movie. You're going to want to be comfortable." She picked up a shirt that the girl had worn so many times that just screamed comfortable. It was one of her favorite shirts and it seemed to click with the first dater almost instantly.

"You're happy in it," she explained. "Confidence isn't in a new dress. Confidence is knowing the shirt looks good on you in advance and giving it a new twist to really wow someone."

Trish was about in as much hair product as her height, but had made her friend's hair look amazing. It looked simple yet flirty and most importantly, it looked like Rydel. "And your hair doesn't really matter all that much. You're not looking to stand out to anyone else but him. He's probably got a favorite hairstyle you've worn and he isn't looking for someone else. You keep it simple and it's going to be so much better on you."

"I've said it already but you know Ry, he isn't looking for a different girl. He's looking for the one he met the very first day you talked."

Kelly had did her make up in a very similar fashion; almost nude in sorts. It was just enough to highlight her best features.

If Taylor didn't fall in love instantly, it would be a crime.

Trish had tears in her eyes as they snapped a few pictures of each of them together. "I'm so proud of you, Ry. I have watched you grow into such a beautiful girl and I'm proud to say I knew you back then and even more proud to say I know you now."

Rydel started to cry, but was quickly scolded by their new friend. "Don't you dare ruin my makeup!"

"I can't help it." She nearly collapsed into the bed, and looked to each of them. "When the fire happened, I thought I would never be beautiful again. I look in the mirror each morning and force a smile, hoping it'll hide what the fire took from me. And now I'm looking at myself and for the first time in such a long time, I do feel beautiful and I'm surrounded by everyone who makes me feel that way."

"Oh, Ry!" Ally hugged the girl. "You're the most beautiful girl I know. Don't you ever think you're not. Remember what I told you yesterday? Believe it, and you'll be fine."

Rydel grinned at her friend and hugged her back. "I love you all so much."

"I'm going to go," Trish said, looking a bit sad. "I have tons of paperwork to file for the next few weeks."

She left the room, and Ally looked to the clock. "Well, you've got about five minutes. Anything else you want to do before he gets here?"

"Yes." She stood up and began to jump up and down on the bed. "I've wanted to do this since I was little!" She was laughing so hard once Kelly joined her, and the girls bounced up and down, laughing like no one else could see them if they wished. Ally was about to tell them to get down and then shrugged her shoulders.

"Why not?" she laughed and joined them.

A knock on the door froze all in mid air. "Oh my God."

"Calm down, Ry," she immediately said, getting off of the bed and looking down the hallway. Trish was standing near the door, eyes sparkling as she peeked to see who was on the other side. She nodded her approval and then darted back into her office. Ally had to nearly drag the girl toward the door and force her to open it.

"I have a question before I open the door, Ally."

"Okay."

"If you thought my clothes were fine why did you agree to take me shopping?"

"Because retail therapy is the best around, and everyone deserves the chance to feel like they're on top of the world. When you're shopping you feel that way."

As the other two hung back, she finally opened it and smiled widely at the boy on the other side.

He stood nearly a foot taller than Ally, about a half of foot taller than Rydel. His deep dimples shouted their hello as his smile widened at the sight of his date. His hair was just a bit messy, looking like a typical beach boy from Florida. And also demanding attention were a pair of bright green, nearly lime eyes. Ally watched as he did a double take of her entire body, in a polite way, not a typical boy undressing you with his eyes way. Then he looked back at her face and grinned again. "Hello," he drawled.

"Hi," she managed before looking to Ally.

She nodded her approval. He was gorgeous and from the way she spoke of him, his personality was great as well.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded and mouthed a see you later to Ally before darting out the door and slamming it behind her. "Well," Ally laughed, looking to her new friend. "That was fast. I would've thought she would have at least introduced us."

The other girl laughed. "I'm pretty sure that I would have done the same thing if it were me. Did you see his eyes?"

"I know!" She giggled. "And those dimples!"

"Enough," Trish laughed, shaking her head at the two as she returned to the group. "We all know he's gorgeous. We just need to see how he treats her now. I don't care how pretty his face is, if he hurts my Ry, I'm going to break it into a million pieces. With that said, Ratliff is looking for you, Kelly. He said you were supposed to be here an hour ago."

Her face lit up in embarrassment. "Oops! I got so involved I forgot I was supposed to meet him for a movie here! Sorry, guys. See you later!"

Once alone, the younger of the two asked, "Do you think he'll hurt her?"

Trish shrugged, and sighed. "I hope not. I could see she was so excited about today. I didn't want to say anything to make her think it wouldn't be the best day ever, but we should be prepared to pick up the pieces if it doesn't go her way. I'm hoping it does."

"Me too."

"So, how is the band coming?"

"Sounds good so far. They were working together earlier by themselves. I figured it was better of me not to interrupt." Ally didn't want to admit that she still hadn't talked to Riker.

"Well, that sounds great. I went and confirmed it with my boss. She is excited and hopes they are too. I told her they had a great friend helping put it together."

Ally blushed and bit back a smile. "Well, I don't know about that, but I'm going to try my best. If you excuse me actually, I'm going to find Austin and Rocky. They were supposed to be working on some music alone."

"No… they're not." Trish shook her head. "Oh. He hasn't told you, has he?"

"What?" Ally noticed her boss immediately regretted what she just said. She sighed and motioned Ally to follow her to the office, where she shut the door and shook her head.

"Austin has been going with Ryland for the last few days to a group focused on abuse survivors. Rocky was also asked to go, but refused to even give it a try. I thought he would have told you. I don't really know how it's going… Ryland and him seem to have it very under wraps. I thought maybe that might be why he has reacted so positively the last few days." Ally didn't mention what he said to her in the hospital. "I guess it's helping him. Ryland won't say what's been said on the rides back here, and well, it seems Austin isn't ready to share that he's going there."

"I don't understand," she admitted. "I guess he wants this to himself. I don't blame him… your privacy here is little to nothing. If he's managed to keep it under wraps, I don't mind pretending I don't know. He deserves that much."

"Well, I'm sure he'll tell you soon." Trish looked at her desk and sighed. "So much paperwork. If you don't mind, Ally, I really need to get this finished. I think we'll order some pizza for dinner tonight and keep it simple."

"Sounds good to me." She left her boss in the office and went down the hallway, the light from the room at the end of the hall almost screaming for her to 'talk to Riker'. But what could she say that wasn't already said? It didn't matter what she told him; nothing was going to change how he felt and she didn't want to make it worse. It was like she was ruining what they had each time she stepped into the same room as him; and she hated it.

"You can't avoid him forever."

"I'm not avoiding him," she said automatically, not bothering to look up at the voice standing next to her.

Rocky smirked from the right.

"He's avoiding me."

"And you're staring at his room with a sad look in your eyes."

"Rocky, please don't make this any worse on either of us." Ally glared at him.

"I thought it would help him. I really didn't think this would happen."

"Well, what he wants and what I can give him are two different things, Rocky." Ally glanced up at him. "It's nothing I haven't seen before, but it took a lot last time to get him to even talk to me. Now, he knows me and he feels his trust has been compromised."

"You've got a way of making people listen, Ally. You got me to listen and from what I've been told, I'm a pretty big asshole. But that's just what I've heard around."

Ally had to laugh. "Go away, would you? You're a bad influence."

"Now _you're_ sounding like Oliver."

This time, she pushed him with a slight laugh. "Stop it. Go back to your room."

"You're pretty awesome, Ally. Stay that way."

He turned and entered his own room, leaving her alone. "And you don't even realize how far you've come."

Ally only got about two feet when yet another face stopped her. "Ally… I'm sorry to bother you, but there is someone at the door and they're asking for you."

Ryland was standing awkwardly behind her, looking a bit surprised. "Oh."

"He looks familiar to me, but I can't place why."

"I'll be right there."

As she sighed and walked away from the lit up room, the person standing in the doorway nearly made her fall to the ground. "Dez?" she whispered. "What are you doing here?"


	30. Broken Boy

**Wow, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in this long. I don't have much of an excuse. This chapter was really hard for me to write though, and it took a while for me to get it right. And then life was a pain, and you know, apparently you have to deal with problems as they happen or everything just becomes a mess. But anyway, you don't want to know about my boring problems. The ones in this story are much more interesting, LOL.**

**Thank you for the reviews, so much. I can't believe how much you guys like this and I'll never stop thanking you. I love you guys.**

**KEEP VOTING FOR THE BAND NAME.**

**Remember to look back on last chapter's band contest winners to see who are my finalists. Pick from there and vote in the reviews. The winner gets a one shot written about them. Help choose the band name. It'll be fun. Don't you think? Haha.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally ushered him into the shelter, closing the door behind her. She motioned to Ryland to leave, and then quickly brought him into what was once her room, and thankfully also empty. Dez didn't say a word but sat down on the bed and despite it being hot outside, was wearing long sleeves. Deep purple bags were screaming from his eyes and his skin might as well have been true white. He looked haunted.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you're still here."

Ally smiled a bit and shook her head. "I can say the same for you, Dez."

He smiled slightly.

Ally didn't want to bring up bad memories but had to know what was going on. Last she had heard, he was going into a rehab of sorts and they wouldn't see him again. He glanced at her again, rubbing his arms. It sent chills up her spine but she refused to let it bother her anymore.

"Dez…"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to make you upset, but what are you doing here?"

"I'm back," he said simply.

He didn't seem to want to explain anything else, not that she blamed him. The last they saw of the boy, he was pulled out of the place on a stretcher, with Ally and Marie pleading to the boy to stay with them. It wasn't a good time, and it was a time that made her also remember how she almost left.

"I can see that," she said softly. "Dez. It's not that I'm not happy to see you. I'm overjoyed that you're here. I've missed you, but from what I was told… you were put into a rehab for self harmers."

He snorted immediately, dark eyes shooting up with a look of anger. "Is that what she told you?"

He got up and paced the room, looking more and more anxious as it continued.

"She didn't put me into a rehab, Ally. She sent me to a home for 'severely disturbed children'!" He had tears in his eyes and his fists were curled into tight balls, looking ready to grab whatever he could. Ally backed up on instinct, though she didn't think he would ever hurt her. "I'm not crazy. I was never crazy… you know that, right? Did you know she just left me in the hospital with no explanation?"

"No, it can't be true…"

"Well fuck, it is!" He slammed his fists onto the bed behind him, taking a pillow and tossing it at the door. It hit it with a thud, and then it slid down. Ally watched in sad fear. "Doctors didn't really care… they place was overfilled with way too many people, all who needed more help than what I did. I couldn't wait to turn eighteen, to sign myself out of there. I wasn't a 'risk to society' so I was able to make my own decisions. I got out of there a few weeks ago."

He threw something at her, and it landed at her feet. A bottle of pills. It rolled around for a moment and then it stopped, revealing what looked to be like some serious numbing pills. Ally gasped, and looked up at him in horror. What had happened? Why had she lied? How could she do that to the boy she had loved so much? Adopted to call her own!

"They don't do shit… they don't help. I didn't know where else to go. I was told I needed an address to be released, so I gave them Marie's. I went there, but her house was empty. I wanted answers, but I only found more questions. I couldn't find her. I came here and some guy I've never seen before answered the door and said she no longer worked here. He was with some blond kid, I'd never seen before." He looked so scared. "It was terrifying to be on the search for comfort and to only find unfamiliar things."

"Dez… I don't know what to say. If I would have known… this was not what I was told would happen." Ally wanted to cry, but she refused to give the boy anymore reason to break down. "Look at me when I tell you I had no idea. I'll explain what happened with her in a little while but right now, that's not important." Ally didn't know how stable he actually was. To put a boy who was suicidal in a mental home was probably the worst possible thing for him. Ally was also a firm believer in self harmers were hurt, not crazy. But to say his mindset was okay right now was far from the truth.

He was filthy, first off. He was in clothes much too big for him and he looked sick. Ally wanted nothing more to rewind and force herself onto that ambulance, and make sure he got the help he needed. Not the torture that he was supplied instead. How long had he been wandering the streets of Miami? He said he was released weeks ago.

"Why would she just drop me? I thought she loved me."

Ally didn't have an answer. Her heart was hurting for the poor boy, who spent most of his life without love, to think he finally found it and watch it just leave again. Trish would be the one to help now, but how could she explain this to her? To her, Marie was simply in the need of help. There was much more wrong if she would do something as completely heartless as this.

"Come on, first things first. We're going to introduce you to Trish and we're going to get you some clothes, a shower, and some food." Ally picked up the medicine, planning on showing it to Ryland, who had a much more diverse knowledge on things like that. "I'm so sorry, Dez. I really am."

He walked slowly toward her, grabbing her arm. He stopped her and smiled sadly, lifting up his sleeve. Deep purple scars were screaming back at her. Ally swallowed her gasp. "Oh, Dez."

"I'm _here_," he reminded her with a look that would haunt her that night. "I'm here. I'm _here_ because of _you_."

"This is absolutely insane," Trish gasped a few minutes later, eyes darting to Dez who was eagerly eating a sandwich and some chips. New clothes and a shower had worked wonders, but now they were left with what to do with him. He was on edge, and nearly freaked when anyone came anywhere near him. Except for Ally.

"I don't understand," Ally whispered. "Why would she just drop him off there?"

"I don't know." Her voice was just as pained. "I can't say I'll ever understand what happened to her. The more I think about it, the more I hope she doesn't come back. This place was a mess when she left and I've worked too damn hard for her to take it back and ruin what I've accomplished." Trish's eyes were angry. "Damn it, it was her job to take care of these kids, not scare them!"

Ryland came over to the conversation, handing the pills Ally had given him a few moments ago back to his boss. "They're sedatives." He shook his head in anger as well. "I searched the NDC in the database and it's a generic of a new pill which is used for those with anxiety and depression." His eyes were glossed with disgust, staring at the bottle in his hand. "This is not how you treat a self harmer. All it would do is make him unresponsive. It's barely even masking the problem."

Trish looked ready to punch a wall herself. "This is a mess. I need to call my boss and figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do."

Ally left the two adults to argue over what was procedure and walked into the bedroom they had been successfully keeping the group out of. Dez looked up when she sat down next to him, putting his food to the side. "How are you holding up?"

"I was starving," he admitted.

"Where have you been?"

He looked sheepish. "I've been wandering the city for the last few weeks. Just trying to find somewhere to go. I was afraid if I came here at first, she would be here and just sent me back."

"You're never going back there," she promised him.

He sighed. "You can't promise that."

"Yes, I can," she argued back, trying to keep the anger she was feeling toward her former boss away from the surface. "Dez, with everything I have in me, I can promise you that you will not be going back to that place."

He didn't look convinced, but the exhaustion in his eyes was starting to win over. She stood, carefully helping the weak boy stand. For the night, he would have to stay in a room on his own. She didn't trust him with any of the others, and with his own anxiety toward those around him, it wouldn't be fair to anyone to watch him act the way he was.

Ally led him toward one of the rooms that were not occupied. She quickly put sheets on the bed, and grabbed a few blankets. He sat down on the bed, staring at the walls with emotionless eyes. She didn't dare leave the room just yet, worried to what he may do. "I can't believe I'm back here," he mumbled, more to himself as he leaned back on the bed. His eyes turned to her. "Does Riker hate me?"

"Riker?" she asked with surprise. "He doesn't hate you, Dez."

"I did something terrible and left him to deal with it."

"You can't blame yourself for that, Dez. You weren't in the right mindset and he just happened to be in the room. He doesn't hate you."

Dez just looked away, probably unconvinced. Ally was so unsure what to do with the boy in front of her. Broken wasn't the word for him. Shattered barely fit the boy in front of her. All she could hope was that he wasn't as far as gone, because she'd do anything to see the boy she had only seen a few times previous, happy and smiling, again.


	31. Getting There

**I guess this is a much better update time! Hehe. Sorry again for the wait of the last chapter. I know it doesn't really matter now, but hey, I felt bad. Anyway, this chapter brings the news of the winner of my band contest!**

**WITHOUT FURTHER ADO.**

**THE WINNER IS.**

**R5ismysoul and the name of AT NERVES END. It had five votes. The second place was tied with Indirect Objects and Loud, and Day by Day was right behind them. Congrats Elizabeth! If I had voted, I probably would have voted for that one. I really, really like the name. Anyway, I'll message you about the one shot.**

**As for this chapter... it's a mess in a good way. As in... the characters are having some fun. Well, it's not exactly fun... but it was fun to write.**

**Thank you for the reviews as always. You guys are awesome.**

**HOW AWESOME IS THE LOUD EP? WHO IS READY TO GET LOUD?!**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally woke up on the floor of the shelter the next morning, Trish standing over her, eyes full of concern. Resisting a yawn, she stood and stretched, attempting to smile as her boss realized she had slept outside of Dez's room the night before and never went home. The woman didn't have to say anything, only shook her head and motioned for her to follow.

"I'm sorry," she finally managed to say. "I was worried. You have to understand, last time he was here, it didn't end well."

Trish didn't comment but closed the door behind her. "I'm not angry at you, Ally. I actually wanted to talk to you alone. You have been here longer than the others, and even though you're a volunteer, I'd like you to know first. I've started the process of turning this shelter into my own. I know I told Marie that she was always welcome to have it back if she wanted it, but after yesterday, I'm not allowing that. There is no reason for that poor boy to go through what he did, and I've placed a compliant with both the state, and filed paperwork to the place where he was placed, for bad conditions. I'm not sure how far that will go, but it's a start."

Ally absorbed the info, and nodded gratefully to the woman. She honestly cared and that was one of the most important things the group needed.

"It's going to take some time. We're still not up to state standards. I need to hire a few more people, get some other things done. We desperately need new sheets and other items, but we're getting there. And I'm much too involved now to give it back to someone who didn't give a damn to begin with."

"You've done a much better job than Marie ever did," she told the woman honestly.

The pair exchanged a smile when the door opened suddenly, and Ryland popped his head in. "Trish, Jackson's on the main line. He'd like to talk to you."

She thanked the man and smiled at her volunteer. "You are a wonderful asset to these kids, Ally. You're more their age so they trust you more than they trust the rest of us. I'm so grateful for all that you've done. You've had your moments, but your heart is there, and that's what volunteer positions are for. I would like to remind you the job offer still stands."

Her stomach danced at the thought of taking a job here now that she had her degree. It was a lot to think about and while she loved everyone here, she wasn't ready to make that decision as of yet. "Thank you. I guess I'll go wake the group."

Ally left the room, and walked down to where Dez was staying first. He was still asleep and for the first time in a long time, he looked peaceful. She left him where he was, and continued on her way. She woke Rydel first and the girl was beaming. She made a note to ask her how the date went, feeling terrible that Dez's return had taken over her mind yesterday and she never got to ask. After that, she woke Oliver and Jade. One by one, she woke up the entire group, until she reached Riker's room. It was always hard to wake him up, as you could never really know if he heard you or not.

She stayed outside his room for a few minutes, watching him sleep peacefully as well. She missed their conversations and was wishing for a way to mend what had happened to them. Finally, she walked into the room, calling his name as she neared his bed. He moved a bit, but didn't make any other attempts to get up. Ally laughed as he tossed the covers over his head, probably not aware who was standing right next to him. She wished she had the nerve to do what she usually did to him when he wouldn't get up, but didn't dare because he wasn't very happy with her.

"Riker, come on," she said instead, laughing when he threw his hands into the air. "Get up. It's time to get up."

He sat up in bed, eyes finally on hers. The pain always got to her… it was always there, but you could see when something else was bothering him more than normal. His eyes did a lot of his talking, since he couldn't vocalize what he'd like to say anymore. And those sad eyes of his were screaming… vocalizing the anger and pain he felt toward her. She wanted to cry, but held it together. "I was told to wake you up."

He nodded and turned his head.

She'd had enough of this.

Sitting down on the bed, she touched his hand and watched him act as if she burned him.

"Riker, please."

He didn't dare face her.

"You know I care a lot about you, Riker. You're one of my closest friends and I'd do anything for you, but you can't stay mad at me for this. I hate not talking to you anymore and I miss our sessions outside. I can't date you. It's not right, and I could lose my job. You've got to understand that, right?"

He seemed interested suddenly and he grabbed his notebook and pen. _You _can't_ date me?_

Ally sighed. "That's not what I meant."

_What do you mean then? What are we? What would you tell me if you didn't work here? Would you give me a chance? I just need to know, Ally. It's killing me, knowing I could be yours if it wasn't for this stupid place._

"I didn't say that we would be together, if I didn't work here." Ally didn't know what to say, because he had honestly scared her. If she didn't work there, would she have dated him? She didn't know the answer, and she didn't know how to answer that. "It's much more complicated that that and I'm not going to get into what would happen if we didn't meet here. You're putting me into a very hard position as your friend and as someone who cares a lot about you. You're very important to me, Riker. And you're being incredibly unfair."

He sighed too and his eyes met hers. _I'm sorry. I know that I am. I'm just… I didn't want you to find out that I liked you. __Austin__ and Rocky ruined that for me. Now I'm stuck with you knowing and I don't know how to handle that. I really miss you._

"I miss you too," she said softly. His eyes were one of the things only Ally could really see. His emotions were there and unless you picked up on it, you'd never get through to him. She was lucky for that reason, and it was also a bad thing when it came to things like this. Seeing the pain was the worst.

He looked down at the papers and then put them aside. When he looked up again, he was smiling.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed.

_I'm really sorry. I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to fight with you anymore. _

She smiled too. "It's okay. Come on, someone is here to see you and I think you'll be happy to see him."

He seemed very confused at first, but the moment his eyes fell on the sleeping form of Dez, the other boy turned around with such shocked eyes, Ally wanted to laugh. He looked so happy, yet so worried at the same time. You could tell his mind was moving and trying to understand what happened, but because he wasn't able to voice it, he just stood there, looking at her.

"He's back," she said. "But he's also been through a lot, so for now, you need to leave him be."

"Is he okay?" he mouthed.

Ally didn't know just how far to tell the poor boy what had happened to him. "He's… hurt. But he'll be fine." She couldn't really say that either, but it wasn't like anyone in the group needed another reason to be upset. And she wasn't going to be the reason they were all worried. "He's safe here."

Riker seemed to understand this and just as she went to say something else, he hugged her. It was such a warm, friendly hug and it was full of everything she missed about the boy.

"Hey, Ally."

Riker visibly tensed at the sound of Austin's voice. Ally let go of her other friend and turned around to smile at the blond. He stood a few feet away, watching them with amused eyes. Riker didn't back down, much to her own surprise and clutched her hand, as if to say she was his.

"Hey, Austin. How are you?"

"Good. Just wanted to see if you guys were up to practicing with rest of the band."

"Oh, sure. Just give us a few minutes, okay?"

Austin smiled, seemingly unaware of the tension in the air. Either that, or he didn't care that Riker was growing more and more protective of her every time he looked his way.

The morning continued relatively quietly, the band working on the upcoming concert and with Riker no longer upset with Ally, he was actually much more of a help to everyone else. So much work was done in a short time, and even the two blonds seemed to get along and enjoy themselves. Ally couldn't help but smile. When it was a rare moment like this, she loved her job.

The day progressed slowly, everyone breaking away for a bit, only to come back and try some more new music. Kelly had joined in, watching with Ally. As this had happened, Trish was able to convince Ryland to take Dez to the state center for a more complete check up, still leaving the shelter unaware of the return of one of its former kids.

Jackson, who apparently decided to call out of work that day, wasn't missed all that much by Ally, but his lack of presence was definitely felt when it was time for several to make their weekly trip to the state therapy sessions. While most were okay with driving together, Oliver and Rocky would still not even look each other's way. It was quite frustrating and annoying to both Trish and Ally, who were attempting to make the group go in two cars. The problem was no matter how they tried to place it, either Rocky would be in a car with Oliver, or with Jade. And both refused to drive with him.

Ally was growing more and more annoyed, but was careful to watch her boss. This was her call, and not the volunteer's. Trish had bitten her tongue at first, but also looked ready to snap at the two close friends and tell them to grow up.

"This is ridiculous," Ally heard Austin mutter to himself, leaning on her car as Trish attempted again to have one of them give in.

Ally herself had to agree.

Rocky seemed to have his own plans as he walked up to the taller male and pointedly glared at him. "What the hell is your problem?"

Oliver seemed shocked at first, but quickly covered his face with one of disgust. "I'm not riding with your unstable ass."

"Oh, shut the hell up." Rocky towered, or attempted to. "I'm not unstable."

Oliver snickered. "Let them all tell you how much you've improved and how great you are. You're nothing but a freak. And when it comes down it, you're going to snap one day and this place isn't going to be there to pretend you're just hurt and give you another chance."

Ally wanted to stop him right there and tell him he was way out of line, but Rocky wasn't done either.

"You want to be that person?" he growled back.

Trish was attempting to get between them, but with no luck. One was just too big and the other was just too determined. "See, there you go."

"Rocky… Oliver."

"Stay out of this, Ally," Rocky snapped. "Why are you even here? You don't know pain. You don't know fear. And I'm damn sure you don't know me."

Trish pushed through the two of them, but it didn't seem to matter much. She was cursing in another language again, but the fight continued.

Rocky pushed past the small woman and shoved Oliver to the ground. In seconds, he was on top of him, punching him and saying things that no one could really hear. Ally was yelling at him, trying to get him to stop, but she too feared that he would accidentally hurt her.

Ally, in one last attempt to stop them, pleaded with Rocky, "Please stop! Don't do this. Don't prove him right. Rocky, he may not think so, but I know you've come a long way. Don't let someone who doesn't even know you tell you who you are! I know you."

Rocky stopped for a moment, his eyes clouded with fear.

"Stop," she muttered. "Just stop."

He backed away from Oliver, who was laughing to himself as Jade pulled him back as well. He had a busted lip and several bruises, but otherwise was fine. Rocky had a bloody nose. His eyes were dark, something she recognized he did as he shut down from those around him, and he backed away some more, running down the street, away from everyone.

Ally didn't dare let him go. She didn't care about what Trish would think, or what could happen to her if she went after him. Ally knew he shouldn't be alone after that and took off, ignoring everyone calling her name. Like she told him, she knew the boy and she knew what had happened to him.

He didn't get far, much like last time and he was coughing into his hands and leaning over a fence when she caught up. Ally placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just like him, aren't I?"

"No, Rocky."

"I'm dangerous."

"No, you're not."

He coughed again, unable to catch his breath. Together, they sat down on the ground and were quiet for a while, just listening to each other breathe. Of anyone, Ally knew that the problems of his past were hard for him to admit. He didn't like to talk about it and when someone pushed him, he reacted in a bad way.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not." Rocky laughed a little. "What am I going to do in the real world, Ally? If someone makes me mad, I can't punch them. No one else is going to allow it. I'm fucked up. He's right. I try and hang out with the rest of the group and while I enjoy them, I'm not like them. They're all dealing from their problems, even Ratliff. I can't even talk about mine. But every time someone brings it up, I can see him. I can feel him. I act like him and I think… is this my future? Is this what I'll be someday?"

"Rocky…"

He sighed, unable to continue to explain what he was feeling. Ally understood exactly what was going through his head, to an extent. He was so afraid of what his father did to him, and so afraid he'd become his father. There wasn't much she could say, and hugging the boy wasn't going to help either.

"I know you don't believe me, but you're healing as you say things like this, Rocky. I can't put into words how proud I am of you. You've come such a long way. Don't you remember what I told you? You're not alone. You're never alone and until you feel you want to really talk about this, you don't have to. I'm not going anywhere. This isn't something that is going to happen overnight. It's going to take time and patience."

"I'm scared, Ally."

"That's okay," she whispered, looking at him. "It's okay to be scared."

Ally, after allowing the boy to calm down a bit more, called Trish and told her they were going for a walk. It made no sense to bring him back there, especially when he was far from okay, and to bring him back where the one who provoked him was waiting, made no sense.

"He needs a break," Ally said, talking clearly but still trying to remain professional to her boss. "What good is it to just cause another fight? Let me calm him down and then I'll bring him back."

Trish sighed on the other line. "This doesn't mean that it's over, do you understand that? It simply means what you just said." She reminded Ally that while Rocky had been provoked, there would be a talk later over what had happened. "I don't want this to be as if it never happened. I'm not one for people fighting in front of me and acting like my authority doesn't matter. Both of them will sit in my office later and there will be a talk about what happened today."

"That's fine."

She assumed Trish must have called off the therapy session after this, and her mind was on the group as they walked toward the Miami mall. Rocky didn't say much, and kept his eyes on the ground, but it felt nice to know he trusted her. They made their way inside and somehow ended up in front of Sonic Boom. His gaze shifted her way at this.

"So, what's the story with this place?"

"What?"

"You took me here to get that guitar, remember? And then the owners said you used to own the place."

Ally sighed. "It's a long story."

"I've got time."

She smiled at his casual tone, wishing it was that simple. It was hard for her to talk about, because while it brought good things her way, it was also the reason she had stopped pursuing music.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Can we go inside?"

"Sure." Ally followed him in, staring at the walls. They hadn't done much to change it and being inside made her miss what her teenage years had brought her. Music was an everyday thing, something she loved so much and would like nothing more than to pursue as a job. The red walls still had that calm feeling, despite the color and they were still lined with every type musical object you could want. The break room, her once favorite place was peeking from upstairs, reminding her of all the times she'd spent up there, playing the piano while waiting for her boyfriend, or simply just to enjoy herself.

"This place is so awesome."

"It's a great store," she agreed.

"I bet you had a lot of fun here."

"I worked a lot," she laughed. "I'm not sure how that's fun, but I guess it had its moments. I grew up here. It's in my blood."

"So…"

"Rocky, please." Ally knew what he was hinting at, and she didn't fall for it.

"I'm sorry. It's just… you know so much about all of us, but we know nothing about you."

This was true and Ally stopped what she was doing and looked at him. He never had anyone to trust, never had anyone to rely on. Who was she if she wouldn't open up to him? She motioned to a seat near them and sat down, smiling at him. "It's a long story, but I guess you can be the first to know."

"Thank you."

Ally thought back to the day her parents told her they were selling the music store. She remembered crying a lot, frustrated and hurt they were taking the one thing she cared about away from her.

"They told me that music as a profession was much too hard to make a living on, and they were doing it for my own good. I needed to get a real job and move on, as nothing good would come from this. I wasn't good enough and wouldn't make it. I was just told to give up." Ally laughed a little. "I didn't have much of a choice. My parents sold the store within weeks, took the profits they made off that, and pretty much took off. I'm not really sure what happened, but it seems like they just wanted to be rid of their responsibilities. They're never home anymore. I don't understand it."

"That's ridiculous. I would have been pissed."

Ally laughed, knowing how he would react. "I did what I could. I took the grand piano, as it was mine and got it put into our house. It started to mock me though. I couldn't play it anymore. And then, I decided that if I couldn't play anymore, I would have to look into a new job. What was I going to do? I was good at advice. I like helping people. It seemed like a good idea. I changed my major to this and I never looked back." She paused, looking at him for a moment. "Watching you guys play… it makes me wish I would have. Maybe given it a second chance. Maybe then… maybe I could have been good enough. I'll never know."

"Who says?" he demanded.

"I've got my degree in my new major. I'm not exactly upset with what I did with myself. If they never sold the music store, I would have never met any of you. I can't imagine my life without you guys in it."

"You'd be happier," he answered softly. "You'd be a lot happier."

She snorted in reply. If her life had remained how it was, who knows what would have happened? It could have all worked out. She could have become a famous musician, but what if it didn't? The shelter wasn't perfect and many days, she wasn't "happy" but this was what she wanted. The group and the shelter was her life and she couldn't imagine what it would be like without it.


	32. Rage

**Well, I didn't mean for this to go as long as it did again, but you know what, that's life. I'm trying to update as much as I can, but sometimes writing isn't all that simple. Either way, it's going up as a new chapter now, so you all can smile and read, right? Hehe. You all make me smile so much with your reviews and I can't thank you enough. We're getting seriously up there in reviews. I'm in awe, and shock. Thank you so much.**

**This chapter is more about Ally and Dallas, as I feel this part of the story needs closure. It may seem like I'm opening the story more with this chapter, but believe it or not, I'm not. Besides, Jackson needed a comeback. Well, in a way. He's not a complete asshole, believe it or not.**

**Also... what R5 songs would you like At Nerves End to sing? Any suggestions?**

**I'm seeing the band in concert on Friday on Long Island and I couldn't be more excited. I've got VIP. I can't wait to meet the band I've been writing about for so long now.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally wasn't going to listen in on the conversation between her boss, Rocky, and Oliver, but curiosity had gotten the better of her and she was attempting to remain hidden and yet still close enough to hear what was being said. The part of her that was saying 'this is bad' was yelling at her, while the other side was saying 'oh, relax'. She was convinced this was the side that spent too much time with Rocky and Austin to begin with.

Ryland, much to her surprise, was also listening in. The two remained perched near the door, ears close as possible. Trish had kept her voice level so far though, so it was a strain to really hear the words being said.

Rocky, you could hear. "I don't want to talk about this." He kept repeating this every time the attention was turned to him. Oliver was mumbling, his voice full of disgust and almost mockery. Ally bit back her own annoyance. She knew she had a duty to those in the shelter, and she was to remain neutral, but she honestly did not like Oliver. In her opinion, he was someone who was in a very similar situation to Rocky. But he held himself on a higher ground than the others, as if he were better. And that annoyed her.

"I'm trying to be professional with you both," Trish said, her voice a little higher. "We are not leaving this office until common ground is met. You boys may be stubborn, but I can bet you, I'm more stubborn than you both combined. I will sit here all night, even in the dark if I must, until we work this out. Is that understood?"

Ally had to laugh. She was giving them no way out of this.

"I don't care." Oliver almost seemed like he was spitting venom. "I don't take back what I said."

"Of course you don't," Rocky snapped.

Ally sighed this time, knowing it was only an apology that her boss was looking for, and the hopes that they'd avoid each other from then on. It was a false hope to say she ever expected them to really enjoy each other, or become friends, but there was also a hope that somehow, it would work out.

"I don't care either," Trish said this time, her words sounding very close to angry. "And here is the thing, Oliver. You're allowed an opinion. You're allowed to voice that opinion. It's a law. But when it comes to verbally, or physically attacking someone else, under my roof, with intents to harm them, I will not stand for that. I will not stand for you to voice opinions to someone else and those around him when you have no basis to mount them on. It is not your place, or your right, to say what you did."

Her voice paused.

"And it is also not right for Rocky to place his hands on you."

"Damn right."

"Okay, enough." Trish stood, as her chair squeaked, sending both Ryland and Ally jumping into the air. "If you do not wish to apologize, or attempt to mend this at all, I'll give you another option. We are not the only shelter in the area based for children. If you cannot work this out with Rocky, you are welcome to move into another. But don't expect that to solve the issue, Oliver. Anywhere you go, there will be people you don't like, and people who will challenge you. Part of my job is to prepare you all for the real world. The real world doesn't work like that. You are forced to be around all kinds of people and just because you don't like them, you don't get to act like a child. I'll give you that option. I will even call the state for you, and have it arranged for you to be moved somewhere else. But you will find no matter where you go, or who you are with, someone else will do the exact same thing to you and eventually, you're going to run out of options."

"Why would I be forced to leave? Why can't he leave?"

Trish again paused. "No one is forcing you to leave. I never said that."

"I don't want to leave."

Ally wanted to laugh at how ridiculous he was being. "Rocky, would you be willing to apologize?"

"I just want out of this room," Rocky muttered. "So yeah, sure whatever gets me the hell out of here."

Trish was with two very stubborn people, neither of which would bend all that much. There wasn't much more in her power she could do, and her patience was most likely running thin.

There was another silence, and then Rocky cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry." It wasn't exactly pure, but it also wasn't complete lies.

Ally could almost feel the stare Trish was giving Oliver.

"Oliver?"

"Fuck you."

"And that is why," Trish said, her voice now grave and seriously annoyed. "He is going to leave this room now."

"Are you kidding me?" Oliver snapped. "That was pure shit! He doesn't mean a word of it."

"Maybe not," Trish agreed. "But he was able to take his ego down a moment to be an adult and make the correct choice. Rocky, you're free to go. Oliver, we're going to have another chat once we're alone. Shut the door, Rocky."

The door slammed shut, leaving the other two no time to move and pointed directly in the sight of the exhausted Rocky. He didn't seem to care or mind that they were obviously eavesdropping on the conversation and he walked past them, toward his room. Ally wondered if this was a moment to leave him alone, or make sure he was okay.

Ryland was already gone, so she decided on the latter.

"Rocky, wait up!"

He didn't stop.

"Are you okay?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters," she insisted.

Rocky snickered as they entered his room and he flopped onto the bed. "I'm fine, Ally. Don't worry. I'm just tired of him acting like such a dick to me, and everyone else."

"You did the right thing in apologizing," she offered.

"Yeah, sure." He looked up. "I'm not stupid. I know what she wanted and I gave it to her."

"And what she said is true. You were able to make a decision as an adult."

"Yeah, whatever you say. It doesn't make what happened any better, and it didn't get us anywhere. Nothing is going to change and he's not going to leave."

"Maybe not, but he'll know who was right and who was wrong."

"Great, another reason for him to think I'm shit."

"Rocky," Ally attempted to reason, but gave up before she started. "Okay, I get it. Nothing I can say will make the situation better. But please know I'm proud of how you handled that, and I'll leave you alone."

He didn't answer, but the strumming of his guitar, soft and slow, made her realize he was thinking about what she had just said.

Ally was driving home from the shelter later that night when she heard her phone vibrate on the seat. She finished the rest of the drive and then picked it up the moment she pulled into the driveway, glaring at the name that appeared on the screen.

_Can we meet?_Jackson had asked.

A part of her wanted to ignore the message entirely, but the other part of her knew if he was texting her, something was wrong. She resisted acting like a child and answered him, asking why and where. He didn't respond for a minute, but then texted her directions to a diner, with the simple explanation "I'll tell you when you get here".

He had called out of work that day. What happened? Ally sighed as she put her car back into drive, heading in the other direction from where she drove to work, and noticed she was heading into Dallas's old neighborhood, and a diner they hadn't seen in years. She recognized Jackson's beat up car near the entrance and quickly went inside, seeing him sitting with untouched coffee near a window. He motioned for her to follow.

She sat down, noticing immediately his eyes were dark and heavy bags were screaming at her.

"What is going on?"

Jackson sighed, looking both annoyed and miserable at the same time. "I know I should apologize for how I've been acting with you lately, but right now, there are more important things to take care of. I'm being direct when I tell you that Dallas is missing and I don't know what to do. He freaked out the other night when I went into his room and found these." He pulled out syringes from under the table and dropped them in her hand. They were small, definitely used and Ally felt sick to know what was going on.

"You can't blame me for this."

Those words were out of her mouth before she even realized it.

"I didn't say I did," he whispered back, probably knowing she thought she was the cause.

"What… what are they from? What is he using now?"

"I'm thinking steroids," he reasoned. "You know how football is. Whoever is the biggest gets the best shot. And we all know he's not exactly the biggest guy."

"How is he beating the drug tests?"

"I don't know." Jackson looked exhausted. "I was spending so much time being annoyed with you for turning him down, I didn't even realize he was using again. It might not be the same things, but it's just as serious. Summer break has allowed for him to use without worrying about tests. I can't imagine this is something new though."

"Do you have any idea where he would go?"

"I can't say I know that much about him anymore," he said sadly. There was guilt and embarrassment in his eyes when he looked up, and he wouldn't hold her stare. "I was so into getting this job that I pushed him away, and now I'm thinking everything combined is getting to him, and I have no idea what to do. I can't tell our parents. They'll freak and then everything will fall apart. I also know I can't hide the drug abuse either. I just want to find him before he hurts himself, or someone else. I know steroids aren't the same drug as before, but roid rage is just as serious."

"How can I help?" Ally asked. Dallas might have been a jerk to her the last time they were together, but she still cared about him, and she did care about Jackson and his family. She didn't want to see him hurt. She also knew he was able to play football without the added use of steroids and was disappointed in him for going back down that road.

"I thought maybe we could think of some places he may go."

"I don't know him anymore either," she reminded him.

"Well, I don't think he'd go far. He doesn't have a job and he doesn't have a car, so he's on foot. He's also probably detoxing since he hasn't used the drug in about a day now, so he's probably getting more and more annoyed with whoever he's around, or whoever he runs into. I know I need to report this, but right now, I want to find him. That can come after. I just want to find him before he gets hurt."

"I don't know what to say," she whispered.

"Can you just drive around with me?"

With an odd sense of déjà vu, she nodded her head and got into his car, wondering where they would find the boy. They drove for nearly an hour, around Miami and it's borders, finding nothing that would lead them to him, or anywhere he had been. Ally had called local gyms, while Jackson had used his authority to check local pharmacies for anyone who may have bought syringes in the last few hours. Jackson didn't think he had any on him, but he would have to get the drug from someone. And to use it, he would need the needle.

"I don't know," Ally groaned. They weren't getting anywhere, and it was getting late. She needed to be back at the shelter in the morning and of course, the streets of Miami weren't exactly the safest when the sun went down.

"I want to try one more place," Jackson said, giving her a look of hope. He drove toward the bad part of town, where gangs and prostitutes usually were, or the homeless who didn't use the many shelters. It gave Ally the creeps to see people who were strung out or selling themselves around her, and she immediately checked to make sure her door was locked.

There was a rundown gym just up the road, it's lights flashing and some off completely.

"This is where a lot of the local junkies go these days," Jackson muttered to himself, and he went to open the door. "Stay in the car. Don't open the doors to anyone. I'll be right back." He paused, looking toward his phone. "I'll take it with me. If I don't come back in a few minutes, call me."

Ally was freaking out as he closed the door, not giving her a chance to even change his mind. The place looked like something out of a movie. There were people in jackets near the door, big guys who looked like they could hurt someone. Jackson barely had any authority here… he wasn't a cop and he wasn't someone on drugs, so how was he planning on getting in?

He did though, with little question. Ally sat back in the car, watching with terrified eyes as someone laughed from down the street, the sound crazy and almost not human. It was stupid of her to think this was a good idea, and that bad feeling in her stomach was starting to make itself known. A few minutes passed, and Jackson had not returned. She was really worried now, and was holding onto her phone, wondering if she should call him.

There was a loud pop suddenly, and many of the people outside scattered. Ally recognized it as a gun and she immediately hit the emergency number on her phone, dialing for the police. After she placed that call, she called Jackson in hopes that he'd somehow would answer, but when it went to voicemail after a few rings, her heart sank and she began to really panic. What was she doing here? And was Jackson okay? There were shots fired from inside the gym and no sight of her friend and co worker. She didn't care leave the car though, and remained perched there until she saw the sirens in the distance, only leaving when a police officer knocked on the window.

"My friend is looking for his brother," she quickly explained, feeling her knees go weak the moment she stood. "He went inside a few minutes ago, told me to call him if he wasn't back in a few minutes. I tried him after I called you, and he's not answering. His brother is probably on drugs, most likely steroids. Jackson works for the state. I was just trying to help. We didn't know where else to look. It was incredibly stupid."

The officer told her to go near the police car and wait with another officer as he and a few others went to investigate. Most of the people were gone at this point, and Ally watched in horror as he went into the building with his gun drawn. The officer was trying to get her to talk again, but there was too much fear inside of her now to do any talking, other than to herself in hopes that Jackson was okay.

A few minutes passed, and no one left the building. There was some radioing between officers, but nothing Ally could hear.

Another two went in with stretchers, as someone radioed there were wounded, and Ally still felt sick. How did she get involved in this, how did they end up here?

One stretcher left the building with someone she didn't recognize, his shoulder being covered by the paramedic. Ally bit down on her lip, hoping to see Jackson walk out after them. She looked to the officer. "Is there any word on my friend?"

"There are several wounded. I don't know."

"I need to know he's okay," she pleaded.

"We will know in a few minutes. Please try and remain calm."

Ally wasn't one who cursed a lot, but she wanted to tell him what she really thought in that moment. Seconds later, Dallas left the building, much to her surprise. But it wasn't the Dallas she knew all so well, but someone else who seemed to be in his body. His eyes were bloodshot and his knuckles were bloody. His mouth was bruised and his actual eyes were wild and almost frantic. He didn't even recognize her as he was pushed past and into a police car.

"That's his brother!" Ally yelled in alarm. "Dallas?!"

"He's the suspect," the other officer said once he was in the police car.

"His brother… his brother went in there for him. Please tell me he's alright."

Another few people left the building, all unharmed. Some were cuffed, others were being led away by another officer. And then, she saw him. Jackson was on a stretcher, his mouth covered with an oxygen mask. There was a paramedic on top of him, performing CPR while another pushed and held pressure to a gun shot wound to the stomach. Ally bit back tears. "That's… that's him."

Ally always thought after the last trip to the hospital with Ross, she wouldn't be there for a while. But at the same time, she also didn't think Dallas would reappear into her life, or she would end up in a car with Jackson, when she was angry at him for some time before that. But there she was, in the waiting room of the hospital, her hands on her lap, praying everything would be okay. There wasn't much word on Jackson, who Ally had rode along with on the trip to the hospital, her hand in his the entire way. He had flat lined once, as the blood was pouring out of him as fast as they were putting it in, but they had gotten him back minutes later, and he was rushed into surgery.

She had tried to call his parents, but no one had answered the phone. If it had changed since she'd last used it, she didn't know. After that, she had called Trish and informed her on what had happened. The woman was nice enough to see if she could get a hold of Ryland to cover the night shift at the shelter, and said she'd be on her way for support.

This was almost an hour ago, and Ally was beginning to think she'd be spending the night alone in fear.

But Trish held her promise and showed up minutes later, frazzled and confused.

"What the hell happened?!"

"I don't really know," Ally said, as she explained the events that led up to where Jackson was now. "I just want him to be okay. I don't think I could take someone else being hurt like this."

"Is there any word?"

"No. Not since the paramedic told me to wait here about three hours ago."

"I'm going to find out if there is anything new," Trish determined, leaving Ally to stare at the wall again. She sighed once alone, wondering how this happened. What had made Dallas turn to steroids, and possibly shoot his own brother?

Her phone rang seconds later, and she didn't recognize the number. Still, she answered it, shocked to hear the voice on the other line. "Ally," Dallas whispered. "I fucked up big time, didn't I?"

It took her a minute to process what he had just said. So, he did recognize her when he was being led into the car. Ally bit down on her lip before she answered. "Dallas, what happened?"

"I don't have long," he whispered again. "I'm sorry. Oh God, I'm sorry. Is Jackson… is he okay?"

Ally didn't have an answer. She didn't even want to talk to him because he wasn't someone she knew anymore.

"You told me back then I just needed help, Ally. What do I do now?"

"I don't know, Dallas. I don't think I can help you with that. I don't know what to say to you."

"I'm sorry. Please tell Jackson I'm sorry."

"Dallas, maybe you should hang up. I don't think now is a good time for us to talk." Ally shook her head. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, but it wasn't a good time as she had said, as her emotions were high and her thoughts weren't all that clear. "When I know how Jackson is, I'll let you know. Bye."

And she hung up the phone, staring at it in her hands. She assumed he was at the police station, but her words had just been a lie. She was disgusted with the boy, and shocked he was able to do what he did. He didn't have to admit it, she knew he had shot his brother.

"Ally?"

Trish was standing before her. "Yes?"

"He made it through surgery," she said softly. "The bullet nicked his spleen, but they were able to repair the damage. He's currently unconscious, but if you'd like to see him, you're able. I can show you to his room."

"I don't know what to say," Ally admitted. She had agreed to go with Jackson out of concern for Dallas, and now that she knew he was safe, she wasn't sure what to say to his brother. He had been rude to her, and the others for a while, and they weren't exactly on good terms. It didn't mean it all went away, but she didn't want to make him feel like crap when he already felt that way.

"Just go in there and be there for him. It seems like you're all he has currently."

Ally laughed. Who would have thought?

She did as she was told, going into his room, gasping at the sight of him. So many machines and tubes were connected to the man, and his skin was almost as pale as the hospital clothes he was in.

She took a seat next to his bed, taking his hand. "I don't know what to say," she repeated to him. "I'm glad you're going to be okay, but I don't know where this leaves us, or your family."

The machines beeped.

Ally sighed. "I don't think I'm as close to you as Trish may think, so this is a little awkward. I don't know if I belong here. I called your parents."

She looked at the walls, in hopes that something would come to her.

A voice shocked her. "Is Dallas okay?"

"You scared me," Ally muttered, seeing Jackson's eyes slowly open. He looked terrible, even worse awake and she bit back some tears. He looked so weak, unlike his usual self. "I don't know. He called me. He asked me what you just did."

"About me?"

"Yeah." Ally shook her head. "What happened, Jackson?"

"I told him he needed to come with me, and when he said no, I went to grab him. I don't know where he got the gun, or who the hell he's been hanging out with. They all jumped around me, and I tried to push them off. He didn't seem to want to shoot me, but you could tell he was high on something. There was some fighting, and the gun went off. I don't think he meant to shoot me. I think he just freaked out and that's what happened."

"Jackson, he's your brother. How could he even point a gun at you?"

"I don't know," he said weakly. "I don't understand. All I've ever wanted to do was be there for him."

Ally talked to him for several more minutes before he fell back to sleep, and she decided she needed to sleep as well. Considering her car was at that diner, and she had no ride home, she rode back to the shelter with Trish, and decided to stay the night.


	33. Loud

**I have to say, this probably would have been up earlier if it wasn't for post concert depression. Yes, it's true... I've finally seen R5 in concert! And let me tell you... I'm a Rocky girl... most of could probably guess that. He's my favorite. But holy crap, Ross in person is... yeah, let's just say he had me screaming loudly a few times. I was next to Riker the entire night, in his corner. He was adorable. Hehe. I also met the band... and even had a few words with Rocky. I didn't even realize he was talking to me at first. It was amazing though, and if you can make it to a concert before the tour ends, you should. They're amazing live. Oh, and I'm going to a second concert because I need to see them again. OH! And me and Carly were literally feet away from each other, and didn't even realize it. Pretty funny.**

**Your reviews are awesome. Thank you so much. Some of you put some of the nicest things into them, and I sit here and stare, thinking when did I get such amazing readers? THANK YOU.**

**This chapter is long, and it's got a lot in it. I'm slowly trying to work into the next part of the story. It's not as simple as it seems. There are a lot of things and a lot of characters and sometimes it takes a few chapters to get it they way it should be.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning came much too quickly, for such a long night. Ally dragged herself into the kitchen, barely awake and much too tired to even pretend she was listening to any of the conversations going on between the group. The others seemed to notice, but with rumors flying and the courtesy not to ask, nothing was said. She grabbed an apple and took a seat next to Austin.

He caught her gaze after a moment. "I hope everything is okay."

She smiled weakly at the boy next to her, seeing the true concern in his eyes. "It'll be okay."

"I'm here if you need me."

"Thank you."

Ryland and Trish walked in then, explaining the events of the night before, leaving out some of the more personal details. With Jackson on injury, things would be tight and the state was sending over another person to help with the group. He would be there in a few hours. The group dispersed after this, most of them going into their rooms, or in the rec room for video games.

"Austin has a court hearing for the charges tomorrow," Ally heard Trish say from a distance, her voice showing some worry for the boy. Ryland mumbled a response, as the days that were ahead were planned. Most of it was simple things, most of them therapy sessions, or things that needed to be done before the band preformed at the beach in less than three weeks.

There was a knock on the door, and no one seemed to notice or care. Ally stretched and decided that was her moment to wake up and start the day. She got to the door quickly, opening it with a smile on her face. The boy on the other side was familiar, but it took a second for her to place him. It hit her seconds later. Literally, Rydel nearly pushed the girl into the wall.

"Taylor!" she gushed, pulling him inside the door. He smiled a little, laughing at the girl's excitement. Ally regained her footing, giving the girl a look of her own. "Oh, Ally! You remember Taylor, right? He's coming over to hang out for a while. Taylor, this is Ally. She's the best friend ever!"

"Nice to meet you again," he said politely, offering his hand. "Taylor Mathews."

"Nice to meet you too." She shook his head and had to admit, the girl had found herself quite the beautiful boy. He seemed honest and of course polite, and from the looks he kept sneaking her way, head over heels for the girl. They darted off into the rec area and it only took moments for giggling and a movie to be heard. Some things seemed to be going right, at least. She'd never seen Rydel happier. The girl always had a smile on her face of course, but outside of the shelter, people weren't as nice, and she had little other friends. Finding Taylor seemed to be the best thing, and she was so happy he saw past the scars on her face.

"That explains so much," Austin commented, after seeing the boy in the rec area moments later. "She looks like she's in love."

Ally smiled at this, glad it wasn't only her that noticed just how happy she was. "I wouldn't say in love but she's certainly on her way."

"Good for her. She deserves to find someone who makes her happy."

"What are you doing today?"

"Relaxing, working on a new song with Ratliff if he ever gets off the phone with his girl. I swear, it seems like everyone is pairing off!" He laughed a little, but you could tell something annoyed him about that. "But otherwise, not too much. What about you? You're more than welcome to join us."

"I've got to see how Dez is doing. Have you met him yet? I know he hasn't been too vocal since he came back, but he's a nice guy." Austin shook his head. "Well, when he's up to it, you guys should definitely meet. You'd get along great, I think. But after that, I'm going to head to the hospital to see how Jackson is doing. He was pretty hurt last night and I want to make sure he doesn't forget we care about him."

"What happened last night?"

Ally didn't know how much she should tell the boy. Trish's version had said there was a shooting from a misunderstanding, but hadn't told the group anything else. He wasn't stupid, he knew there was more to it than that, but it also meant she would tell him personal details of Jackson and Dallas's lives, and she didn't know if that was her place, or if it was something he should hear in the first place.

"It was a long night," she commented back, pretending she wasn't interested in the topic. She hoped that he got the point it was meant to be dropped. Austin, good at things like that, nodded and followed her into the room he was still sleeping in. "I hear you have that court date tomorrow. I'm free, if you'd like me to go."

"I would love that," he whispered, his confidence dropping the moment she mentioned the words at all.

"Great. Well, in that case I'm going to stop by a place with Trish and get my car, and I'll see you later."

Several hours later, after a shower and a much needed moment of relaxing, she headed off to the hospital, hoping Jackson was awake and more alert than he was last night. She had called a head of time and was greeted with the good news he was out of the ICU, so she had good spirits heading toward his room with a balloon and a card. He was awake, much to her relief, and was watching some show on TV.

"Ally," he said in somewhat surprise. He still looked like hell, but there was more color to his face, and he seemed less drugged than the night before.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Been better," he admitted with a slight laugh. "But I'm not going to complain, hearing what the doctors told me this morning. I'm just glad to still be here."

"Me too." Her light smile continued as she clipped the balloons to the seat next to her, handing him the card. He read it with a smile of his own and then patted the bed next to him, offering her a spot to sit.

"I'm sore, so I can't move much, but from what I've been told, those chairs are terrible," he explained, attempting to give her a little more room. He stopped within seconds, the pain too much. They went quiet, the TV the only sounds in the room, other than the hospital machines and noises from the hallway. Jackson was first to ask a question, "Have you heard from Dallas since last night?"

"No," she said honestly. "I might have told him to not call me, though. I was angry and upset, and didn't know how to deal with him. I still don't and if I'm honest, I don't want to talk to him. I know he's not himself right now, but to do this… to be so far off that he shot you… Jackson, you have to understand why I'm a little worried."

"He's my brother," he whispered back, obvious emotional at what she had to say.

"He hurt you," Ally snapped back. "And you have to realize you can't help him if he doesn't want to help himself. At this point, he's got to know he's really screwed up, and that should scare him enough to do something for himself. And if he doesn't… let him go, okay? It's not your job to play superman anymore."

"He's going to lose everything…"

"Well, maybe that's what needs to happen for him to realize what he's done. Have you heard from your parents yet? I called them last night, but no one answered the phone."

"They called here, but I was asleep. They're not home right now, so I'm sure they're freaking out. I feel as if this is my fault though… I mean, this is what I do for a living! I help people with problems like him! And I can't help my own brother… if I can't do that… who can I help… am I any good at my job?"

"Jackson, you're great at what you do. You've always been good at helping people, we both have but there is a difference in knowing when to help and when to let someone else take over. Right now, you should be taking care of yourself and focusing on getting better. Dallas will be in jail until someone posts his bail, and again, maybe that's what he needs. I'm going to be here… for you. Only for you because as much as I loved that boy, I can't be there for him anymore."

He went silent, his eyes focusing on anything else but Ally. He was hurting, both from the wound in his stomach and from what was going on in his life, and there was nothing she could do to help that. He needed to realize, like she had, that she can't help everyone. She could try, but it didn't mean it would work. Sometimes it was hard to remember that.

"You can't help everyone," she reminded him.

He just continued to stare. Ally sighed, standing up and going toward the door. This wasn't how she expected the visit to go. He didn't stop her, and she didn't look back.

Back at the shelter, the band was staring another practice. It was obvious they were getting excited to do the show, and several songs were already written and being practiced. Austin was sitting next to Rocky, and they were working on what they were calling 'Loud'.

"I'm looking for the one tonight," Austin sung without any music, "But I can't see you…"

Rocky listened as he carefully played with different strums, trying to see which worked best with the song. Next to him, Riker was working on a song of his own, trying to finish lyrics that the others had started. He was good at that, putting the catchy lines with great verses. And Rydel… well, Rydel was too busy flirting with Taylor in the corner to care all that much.

"Ratliff, get over here and help!" Rocky laughed, noticing this. "We need another ear and since Rydel is too busy being a girl, we are down one!"

She rolled her eyes from where she sat, whispering something to Taylor. Ratliff, who was happy to just be playing on his own set, walked over and also listened in. Within minutes, they had the guitar notes to go with the song. This went on for nearly an hour, when they all jumped up with a finished song, excited to finally have something to go off of.

"Okay, are you guys ready to try it? Here is the music, it may be a little rough, but we can always change or add to it. I think this should either be our encore, or the last song we play if we don't get one. It's perfect and reminds everyone who we are." Rocky got his guitar and started to play, followed by Austin and Riker, who also added in seconds later.

Austin looked nervous as the lyrics came into play, hoping his voice could keep up with the great guitar playing and such. But it seemed to work well, and even Riker looked excited to see how great they were coming along. Taylor clapped when finished, smiling at the group. "You guys are great. I didn't know how well you play, Rydel. You never told me you were part of a band."

She giggled instantly. "You never asked."

"Oh, gag me," Rocky laughed, pulling Austin along with him.

Riker smiled a little, proud of the girl for finding someone. He longed for that, of course but he was determined to patch his friendship with Ally, and make it how it was before. He couldn't help that she knew about his crush, and understood how it was unfair to both her and him and decided it was time to grow up. Still, it wasn't simple. Seeing Rydel, and even Ratliff happy with their new love lives, made him wonder if him and Ally could have something similar.

"This song is great," Rocky said suddenly, bringing everyone back to reality. He looked to Riker who was realizing the words were directed at him, and smiled back. "It's got real potential to be another song we could sing. Is it about Ally?"

His face felt hot almost instantly and he couldn't manage to answer, as giggles erupted around him. He wanted to run, but he couldn't get too far. Taylor was in the door way, and the other door was blocked by Ratliff's drums. "Guys," Rydel cut in, lucky for him. "Leave him alone. Does it matter what made the song? I bet it's awesome. Let's try it."

He looked to her with grateful eyes.

She smiled back at him. But he knew it was true… the song was about Ally, and he was hoping that somehow, she never found that out. It was written when he was angry and jealous of Austin, who had been stealing all his time with her. Now, he was determined to make his friendship with Austin work as well, and he just wanted the song heard. It was one of his better lyrics, and it definitely did have potential to be a great song if Rocky was the one making the music for it. As much as he wanted to hurt the boy sometimes for his direct comments, he was talented as hell when it came to things like that.

"Hey!" Ally of course had to come in right then, when they were working on who would sing what.

Ally smiled at the group, and noticed Rocky was attempting not to laugh. She looked down at her outfit, wondering if something had happened on the way back here, or if she just walked in at a bad time. The laugh went away, and the band began to work on music again, leaving her to stare at the group. Taylor came up beside her with a welcoming smile.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself when I picked Rydel up the other day," he said. "I was really nervous and I didn't want to mess up."

"It's okay. I could tell you were happy to see her. That's all I needed."

"You guys must be protective of her. She's the only girl, other than yourself I've seen here." Ally thought about Jade, who never left her room anymore, probably because she felt like Oliver did.

"Yeah, we are. She's a special girl. I'm glad she's found someone like you."

He laughed. "Like me?"

"You adore her, I can tell."

He blushed at this. "She's wonderful. I'm glad I met her."

They made small talk until the group was done, and everyone quickly broke into small groups and left the room, leaving her alone with Rocky and Austin. They were cleaning up the mess left behind, talking with excitement about the concert and how awesome it was going to be. Ally was glad to see the court date wasn't on his mind.

"You guys sounded awesome. I can't wait to see this show."

"I hope we don't mess up the day of," Austin joked. "They have me singing most of the choruses! I'm a little nervous, I gotta admit."

"You are singing most of the choruses because my voice is too low and well, Riker can't sing. Rydel's got a cover she wants to do, and Ratliff has a nice voice, but he'd prefer to stay behind the drums."

Ally could understand that.

"Can I hear a little?" she asked with a wide smile. "I missed you guys actually singing before…"

"Nope." Rocky grinned back at her. "Now you have to wait until the show."

Austin waited until Rocky was out of the room and then winked at her. "I'm sure you'll hear something before the concert. None of us are exactly quiet when we perform." Austin paused and looked around the now empty rec area. "So, what are you up to? I'm bored and I think we could use a little Austin and Ally time."

"Oh yeah? I think I can fit you in my schedule."

He pushed her onto the couch and nearly jumped on top of her. "You're mine," he declared.

"Good to know I have a choice in the matter!" she laughed back, but smiled as he put on a movie and got comfortable.

They were still in the same positions nearly five hours and two movies later. Austin was curled up in her side, barely awake and body tangled in a blanket. The horror movie he had put on was pretty boring, so Ally was going through her phone, looking at some of the pictures she had taken of the group over the last few weeks. Soon enough, she noticed Austin was asleep and giggled a bit. Taking her phone, she snapped a few of him like that and decided she could use it to her benefit in the future.

That's when she noticed a scar. It peeked out from under his shirt, a long but red line that went up his side. Her eyes were glued to it and the possibilities of what happened so she didn't notice he was staring at her, "He threw me into a window."

Ally nearly jumped at the sound of his voice.

"What?"

"Jimmy threw me into a window. He was pissed that I was home later than he wanted, so he did what he knew best. He punched me a few times, and forgot that I was already weak from the night before when he was drunk, and pushed me. I lost my footing and broke one of his army things he has. He grabbed me and pushed me through the window. I thought I was going to die that night. He took me to the hospital and told them he didn't know what happened. One minute he was cooking dinner, the next he said I was laying outside covered in blood. Isn't it hilarious how they believed him?"

"They should have alerted the state then," she said softly. "I'm so sorry. I wish somehow we could have helped you before all of this had to happen."

"I'm scared he's going to win tomorrow," he continued after a moment. "He's always been good at making up lies and getting people to believe them. What if they courts can't see what he's really like and think I'm the monster? I keep saying he's not important and that he can't control my life anymore, but it's not true. He's controlling everything. Did you know my aunt Stormie hasn't returned my calls? A few weeks ago she was all ready to adopt me. I like her, I really do. She was great as a kid, but why the sudden change in heart? I bet he threatened her."

"Don't you think she would have told someone about that? I can't see her just giving up."

"He's terrifying, so I can see someone else being scared of him as well. I don't have proof that he did that, so I can't say for sure, but it makes sense." He stood up slowly, looking down at Ally with a sad smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess. Hopefully it all works out."

She watched the door long after he left, hoping he was right.

The morning was one of quiet and nerves. Trish was preparing for Austin's day with several phone calls, while Ally was sitting in the kitchen, pretending she was listening to some story Rocky was telling when really, she was staring at Austin's room. He had grabbed some pancakes, something he'd normally be really excited about and returned to his room, saying he would rather be alone until they had to leave.

Ryland could sense her worry and placed an arm on her shoulder. "You're doing the best you can for him. Being there is important, remember that."

"Today is going to be a really long day."

"Yes, it is but in the end, he's going to remember you never left his side."

Ally hoped this was true, smiling up at him. "Thanks, Ryland."

"Anytime." He walked away, now on the end of Rocky's conversation. The poor man, he didn't know what he was in for. When Rocky was in a great mood, he could go on for hours. She laughed to herself, smiling over at Riker who too was on the end of a very hyper Rydel. She had enjoyed her day with Taylor yesterday, and had not shut up since he left.

"Okay, we'll be leaving in a few minutes. Thanks, Mark." After hanging up her phone, Trish walked into the kitchen with a look of determination in her eyes. She scanned the room, taking in all that was going on and then put a smile on her face. "Okay guys. Ally and I are both going with Austin today, so you're under the watch of Ryland until the new help gets here. Please… try and keep yourselves somewhat quiet today? We'll be back as soon as we can." She turned to Ally. "I'm going to grab some paperwork. Would you mind grabbing Austin and meeting me at my car?"

She left again, and Ally stood and hoped this would go well. Austin's door was open when she got to it, and he was sitting on his bed, holding his guitar. "Hey. Are you ready to go?"

He stood up. "Do I have much of a choice?"

"No, I'm sorry."

He smiled at her and followed her to the car, where they drove to the court house in silence. She watched him though, watched as his emotions went all over, from fear, to anger, to annoyance as the neared the place. He kept stealing looks at her too, hoping to catch what she was thinking. She was trying to remember what Ryland had said, while being content in her emotions so he didn't try and read off anything that would make him more upset.

"Okay, we're here." Trish looked behind her. "I know we're in for a long day, and no matter what happens, it will be okay. I mean it when I say Jimmy will not win this war, do you hear me? Austin, he's not going to win. I won't let him."

He didn't say anything, but got out of the car.

Ally stared at the large building ahead of her, the people walking around, all with something to do. She followed after the small woman, and Austin who was probably walking as slow as he could. They entered into air conditioning, and thankfully not any familiar faces. Several in suits walked past, some on phones, some with people on their ears.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait," Trish said simply. "Mark should be here soon. He's going to go over what is going to happen, and make sure Austin's got what he needs."

She waited until Austin wasn't looking and whispered, "Is Jimmy here yet?"

"More than likely." She didn't hide her distaste for him, not that Ally could blame her. The man deserved to be behind bars, not torturing a kid who was only trying to protect himself and those around him. "I'm sure he's somewhere. If he approaches any of us, if I'm not around… do not let him say a word. Understood, you two? Do not let him talk. His lawyer is probably looking for more evidence, since the claim is such crap to begin with."

"Yes."

Ally continued to watch those around her, until Mark walked up and began a private conversation with the other two. She briefly got up to walk around, finding herself bored, knowing their case wasn't up for another half hour. Time dragged. Austin fidgeted once he was done, his hands showing his nerves as well. He avoided Ally at any cost. She couldn't blame him.

"We're up next," Mark said suddenly, ushering them toward the large wooden doors. "Austin, keep your eyes ahead. Do not provoke him in anyway. Do not even look at him."

He didn't need to be told twice, and as the others took a seat behind the front, Ally saw the man she had grown to hate. He was staring right at the boy, and she knew Austin could sense it as he tensed the moment he walked by. She felt terrible, and gave her best glare to the man before her. He seemed to growl at both Mark and Austin, but no one else seemed to notice. Or maybe that was just something that was his character. He just looked mean.

The judge began to talk, his voice boring and long, about the charges that were brought forth. The lawyers did some bickering as well, and even Jimmy said a few words. Austin hadn't moved. He seemed to be frozen in his seat, probably terrified of looking up and causing himself problems that weren't even there in the first place. Ally wanted to scream at both Jimmy and the lawyer, tell them that he was a liar, and that Austin wasn't a terrible kid. He was simply trying to do his best. It wouldn't matter though.

"All we ask your honor, is that the evidence and the claims be entered into the other trial. It hardly seems fair that the defense has their allegations when we also have our own. Isn't there always two sides to a story?"

Ally snickered to herself. What was he trying to say?

"Very well," the judge answered. "I've reviewed the claims and allegations set forth and see they shall be entered by court of law into Stock vs. Moon. I believe there is already a date for this case set in a few weeks time?"

"Yes, your honor there is."

"Very well," he repeated. "And if that satisfies both sides, I believe…"

"Your honor, one more request if you wouldn't mind." The judge raised his eyebrows at the other lawyer. "I have come into contact with a relative of Mr. Moon's, and she would like to be a witness for the trial."

Mark stood up. "We were not made aware of this."

"You are now," he snapped, glaring at Mark. "We would also like to add Stormie Moon to our list of witnesses. The woman lived with Austin and his mother while he was young and is willing to testify that he was an unruly child who was incapable of behaving."

The judge didn't seem too surprised. "Very well," he once again said. "Now, if that is all, you all are free to go." He got up, leaving the court room. Ally felt her jaw finally drop as she locked eyes with Trish, who seemed just as concerned and shocked. Austin finally budged, and he flipped around to eye Trish, who didn't have words to express what was going through her head. His eyes became frantic, and he shot up from his seat, trying to run before anyone could catch him. He didn't notice Jimmy had also gotten up, and before he could react, he ran right into him. The shock sent him toppling backwards, onto his butt and scrambling to get away from the man who was smirking down at him.

"Easy there, son. You wouldn't want to hurt that perfect little face of yours," he laughed, walking away with his lawyer, both with smug looks on their own faces.

Ally got up seconds later, rushing over to Austin who was still on the floor, his eyes wide and his body nearly shaking with fear. Ally wished the judge was still in the room, or someone who would see just how menacing the man really was.

"Come on," she urged quietly. "It's okay. He's gone."

Austin could barely stand and she feared for a moment he might pass out.

"Hey, look at me."

Trish was now at their side, followed by Mark. The adults looked furious. Trish was already yelling at him, asking how they were able to get to his family without them knowing. Especially considering Stormie had wanted to adopt him only a few weeks ago.

"Austin?"

"Can we just go?" he asked. "I just want to go home."

Ally didn't know what he meant by home, but took his arm and led him to the car.


	34. Real

**Again, post concert depression is the fault here. I ended up going to another concert on the Loud tour, getting VIP, and meeting R5 again. Clifton Park, NY. It was perfect. It was much less rushed than Long Island, and while a drive for me, it was so worth it. I made them all bears that looked like them, got to talk to Rocky for a few minutes, and when I went to ask Rocky for a hug, Rydel told the band to group hug me and I was stuck in the middle of R5. Pressed against Rocky's chest. I was so happy I can't even put it into words. I also had VIP for Taylor Mathews (he plays Rydel's boyfriend in this) and he kissed me on the cheek and hugged me more times than I can remember. He also called me wonderful and I bought a ton of his merch and he sang to me and a few others who had VIP. I honestly hope a lot of you got the chance to see the tour. It was so wonderful and the band is so great live and they're just awesome to meet as well and I wanted to cry when it was over.**

**This chapter is a bit of a mess again, as the next chapter describes their first concert and leading up to that there were a few things that needed to be explained and such. I'm excited for the concert chapter and what comes after it. Some real interesting things for the Auslly and Rilly shippers. ;)**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

They got to the shelter and it didn't take long for Austin to cut himself off from everyone, going into the room and closing the door. Trish watched this happen and sighed, her anger and frustration distracting her from trying to piece together what to do. She knew her boss was angry, and had already placed several calls, including one to Stormie, who didn't answer. They didn't know what to do.

"This is a disaster," she snapped once alone in the office with the adults. "We're down an adult; I've got paperwork up to my ceiling, and now this. The state hasn't even called me back about the new stay in!"

Ally didn't know how to help. She was at a loss on how to help Austin, and wasn't going to attempt something she knew she'd fail. She also knew watching her boss panic would do little for herself, or the group in the other rooms, and wondered how she could better make use of her time. Slipping out of the room, she snuck down the hallway and stopped short at the sight in the rec room. Riker and Dez were playing cards. You would have never known they were, had she not seen the flash of red hair. Between Riker's lack of vocals and Dez's jumpiness, no one could hear a thing.

But Dez looked calmer than he had since arriving and she didn't want to mess with that.

"Hey, Ally!" Rydel was giggling from her doorway. She was dressed as if she was ready to go out and from the looks of it; she guessed it was with Taylor. "Taylor is picking me up to go see a concert. His friend David is apparently doing a show and he invited me. Did you know he plays music too?"

"Does he?"

"Yeah, he sings. He's got this really nice voice. I heard him singing the other day on the way home. I think he's shy about it."

"Well, have a good time."

She continued down the hallway, noticing Rocky was on his bed, hunched over a notebook, probably writing a song. It was peaceful in the shelter, despite the problems that were surrounding them. The concert was barely two weeks away, and Ally hoped it stayed this way. They had so much to work towards, so much going for them as a group and as individuals. Thinking back to how they all were months ago, and the images she had of each of them now; pride was the only emotion she could put a name to.

She couldn't wait to see what they could do on that stage.

"Ally!" Dez's voice was quite the shock, his head peeking out from behind the rec room door. He waved his warm her direction. "Come play cards with us. Riker is a cheater!"

Ally laughed at the look on his face, shaking her head, but agreeing to his request. When she walked in, Riker started to shake his own head, glaring playfully at his old friend. The three sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Ally missed this about not only Riker, but Dez too. She had forgotten how close they had been before Dez's departure and was glad to see the quiet boy had a friend again, one who was just as quiet as he was.

"I've missed this place," he admitted, as if to read her mind. Riker's eyes shot up at this, he smiled warmly and then looked back down. Ally had to smile too. He was far from happy, but hearing words like that from a boy who was so hurt, meant progress was happening. She knew he had been spending time with Ryland, talking one on one. A lot of them did, and she had to admit, it seemed to help them.

"We've missed you."

"I think I'm going to see this concert that Riker was telling me about."

"Oh, yeah?" Ally grinned at him. "You could totally film it."

His face reddened at the request she gave and for a second, she thought maybe she pushed him too far. But then he glanced at his friend and Riker nodded and he shrugged. "Maybe. I'll think about it." One of Dez's greatest talents happened to be filming and she had seen some of the work he did in the past. She thought he was great.

"You would do a great job," she added, before continuing their game.

The next day came quickly, much to everyone's surprise. Trish hadn't left her office much, constantly on the phone with lawyers, the state, and Mark. She hadn't gotten very far, but she wouldn't give up on what had happened the day before. She loved this about her boss. She was a strong woman, with loyalty to those in the shelter. And she didn't give up on anybody.

Rydel had not stopped gushing about her date with Taylor, and had spent the last half hour in the rec room, telling Dez and Riker all about it. They hardly seemed amused, but she had to laugh at the fact they hadn't left the room.

Rocky and Ellington were working on a song in the corner, quietly plucking and strumming on the guitars in front of them.

Austin's room remained closed. He'd come into the kitchen for breakfast, only to retreat back into there with the one wish 'please, just leave me alone'. He didn't say it with any harsh tones; he honestly just wanted to be to himself.

"We need to practice," Rocky declared suddenly. He stood from where he sat, looking toward the blond's door. He knew the pain of what Austin was feeling, probably wondering if he should go over there, or let him be. But with Austin singing most of the songs, they needed their lead, and without him, they couldn't move forward.

He looked to Ally. "What should we do? We need him."

Ally was at a loss. "I don't know."

"You're supposed to!" he muttered. "Isn't that what you're here for?"

She felt helpless when he said that, feeling like she wasn't doing her job. But what had she said to Jackson not too long ago?

"I can't help him if he doesn't want to be helped," she replied defensively. "I'm sorry he's not up to practicing, but forcing him to isn't going to make for a very productive practice." She stood up, pulling Rocky to the side. She gave him a look the others couldn't see and added lowly, "You know that better than anyone."

His face immediately cast toward the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck, sighed, and also nodded. "You're right. But he can't just sit around in his room and feel sorry for himself." He looked up with knowing eyes. "I also know that better than anyone."

"Maybe you should talk to him," she said softly.

Rocky laughed. "And say what? The world is fucked up and it doesn't get any easier?"

"No, Rocky."

"I didn't mean that," he added. "I mean, I did. I just don't know how anything that will help him. I can't say there are words that fix things like that. There just aren't."

"You understand what he's going through, though. You understand him." Ally leaned closer, noticing the others were trying to listen in. "Sometimes, you don't have to talk. Sometimes you can just be there."

"Sometimes, company is enough," he agreed with a sad smile.

Rocky didn't succeed into getting Austin out for practice that day. Unfortunately for the group, no one got to enjoy playing a song or two, but Ally did notice that Austin left his room that night. He didn't say much to anyone, but he left the room. He made eye contact with those around him. He didn't have to talk, but he listened.

And sometimes, company could really be enough.

Austin had this thing where he would just pretend things didn't happen. The day after that, he left the room and nearly tackled Ally into a hug, tickling her the moment she hit the ground. Confused, but not willing to ask, she chased him through the shelter until they reached the rec room, where they both collapsed on the couch from exhaustion.

"What was that for?" she finally giggled.

"Just missed you," he said simply.

That was that. He didn't say anything else, but went back into his room and grabbed his guitar. He played for a while, nothing really a song, but just melody for them to both enjoy. They enjoyed each other's company in a way she couldn't quite put words to. He, despite his worries, had a grace to him that no one else did. When he was happy, those around him were. She liked that. Maybe that was why Rocky was happier when he was around.

"The show is really soon," he said suddenly.

"I know. I'm excited to see what you guys can do."

"I'm excited too." He paused, looking at his guitar. "You're going to watch from the crowd, right?"

"What difference does that make?" she honestly wondered. "I thought watching from the stage would be more fun."

"No," he insisted. "It's not. I want to see you in the crowd. It's something… how do I explain it? It's like… I feel like you're the reason we're here. We're doing this. It makes sense, I swear it does. I just… I wish I could make you understand how much I appreciate you… we appreciate you. You don't hear it, but the others agree with me. We can't wait to show you what we can do."

"I'm proud of all of you."

There was a knock on the door, which ruined the moment, but Ally didn't mind. She didn't want to get emotional in front of Austin, because she honestly couldn't put into words how proud she was of them. She stood with an apologetic smile and walked toward the entrance, opening it without second thought. The person on the other side of the door made her stomach flip.

"Dallas," she spit out, her smile fading instantly. "What are you doing here?"

He still looked terrible. It might have been a bad trip, or detoxing, she wasn't sure which. But he looked like he had the night he had been arrested. He didn't say anything, but stared at her like she was the most interesting thing he'd seen in weeks. She repeated herself, annoyed that he had the nerve to come to a place like her job, especially when he didn't have a reason to.

"I need to talk to you."

"I have no words for you." She went to close the door, but he stopped it with his foot. Ally hated to admit it, but she was afraid of her ex boyfriend. He looked up again, his eyes pleading with her. At this point in time in the past, this would be where she could cave, let him in and let him cry about how much he messed up, how he was sorry, and that he needed to be forgiven. But when he did what he did, that all went away.

"Hear me out?" He was past desperate.

"No. Get off the property before I call the police and have you arrested."

"I need help. Please don't drop me when I need you the most."

This set her off, and she slammed the door from behind her. There was no need for anyone in the house to hear what she was going to say to him. It was private, and it was time for Dallas to understand what she thought of him. "Don't you dare give me that crap about when you need me the most!" she said, shoving him backwards. He almost stumbled down the steps. "You had more than one chance to fix the mistakes you've made, Dallas. I thought you did, honestly. I watched you go off to California, thinking you were finally okay, finally the guy I met back in high school. You seemed happy."

He seemed afraid. She liked that. He needed to realize what he'd done.

"I thought about you a lot, when you first left. I was so proud of you, doing what you did. Getting clean, getting yourself together. Proud that I stood by you through thick and thin and despite the break up, that we were still friends. Maybe the distance, maybe the time was what pushed us apart, but maybe it wasn't either of those. Maybe you never really changed. I know that I thought highly of you still."

"And then your brother gets a job here, and I'm thinking about again, how well you were doing. I was happy to hear you were doing well and maybe even a little excited that you were coming home soon. It wouldn't hurt to catch up, maybe eat dinner. I was upset when you told me you still loved me. I knew I didn't feel that way anymore, and it scared me to think that maybe I should still, but maybe that was just the future warning me about what you were going to become. I loved you more than anything, Dallas. You were my first everything… love, heartbreak… and everything in between. We had something special, and I can't doubt that."

He looked confused, but didn't say a word.

"And despite how you treated my friend in the mall, I would still bend over backwards to make sure you were okay, as you can see by what happened a few days ago. I was so concerned when the past was slamming me in the face again, forced to go down and relive what happened when you fucked up the first time."

"It was a mistake."

"No, it wasn't. You can't put a mistake on something like this."

"Ally, you have to understand what happened."

"Don't bother. You and Jackson are the same that you don't take no for an answer. You don't even realize just how much he's willing to give to keep your ass out of jail. And he almost died because of it. Think about that. You shot the only person who still gives a damn. You can cry all you want, you can beg me until the sun goes down, but my answer isn't going to change. I have way too much going on in my life to be burdened with you. I don't want you to come back here."

"But… you said you loved me."

"You got the words right." Ally smiled at him one last time before slipping back into the house and closing the door. She watched him stand there for a while, staring at where she once stood before he finally gave up and walked down the street. Despite meaning every word she said to him, there was still the feeling of heartbreak in her chest. She couldn't doubt that she once cared for him more than words could say. But that was gone, and left instead was the dull ache of something that was once good turned sour.

"Are you okay?"

Ryland was standing there of all people. "I'm fine," she said, but answered too quickly for it to sound true. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. It needed to be said."

He smiled back at her. "Okay. Well, the others are looking for you."

Another week passed. No developments were made for Austin's case, but it had been long forgotten by everyone it seemed. At least for the group, as they were all too excited for the concert that was five days away. Practices were being held every day, and Rydel was working with Kelly on outfits for the day. They wanted to match in color, and that meant shopping. The girls had just finished up a trip, and the boys were trying on clothes.

"I don't think I like this shirt," Rocky whined, looking in the mirror. "It looks funny."

"It looks fine," Rydel growled playfully, but laughed after she said it.

"Ally, tell Rydel I look stupid!"

"Ally, tell Rocky he's always looked stupid!"

"Ally, tell both of them to shut up!" Austin yelled from the other side of the room.

She just laughed. "Would you all calm down? There are plenty more clothes here. We can all find something for you to wear. I promise."

"Rocky is more like a girl than any girl I've ever met," Rydel disagreed. "Everything I've shown him so far he's complained about."

While the group was excited like she mentioned, the show being so close also meant everyone was starting to get nervous. Things like this were happening more and more each day.

"Well, maybe you should stop dressing me like a girl, then!"

"Both of you shut up," Austin said again, pushing them. "I think the shirt is fine."

"Ally, can you help me with something?" Ratliff asked, smiling at her. She followed him to the corner of the room, away from Kelly and the others. "I want to perform a song for Kelly at the show, and Rocky knows about it, but I'm not sure which one I should sing. There is a song she likes, but I don't know all the words well, but when we were walking back from the movies the other night, she said her favorite song of all time is Sunday Morning. I know that one well. I can't decide though. Which one?"

Ally looked over the two songs, finally deciding on Sunday Morning. "It's more romantic. The other song is a bit too upbeat if you're trying to impress her."

He smiled gratefully. "I thought so, but I wasn't sure." He paused, looking around him. "Can I say thanks, quickly? You've always been nice and helpful to me even when I don't deserve it."

"No need to thank me," she whispered back, knowing he was embarrassed about the others hearing.

He smiled at her one more time before darting over to Rocky and telling him what he'd be playing.

"Alright, so the concert is five days away. We need a name."

The words made everyone look up and turn to Rocky, who looked around him. Everyone went silent and started to think of ideas, mumbling suggestions only for each to shake their head. Much to everyone's surprise, Riker came to the center of the room and held up several words. Ally grabbed the paper from him and read, "At Nerves End."

Rocky grinned first. All followed. Words began to mix together as they talked about the idea, finally settling down with all eyes on Riker.

"We like it," Austin said first. "I think everyone agrees on that, right?"

"What about you, Ally?"

"I like it too," she agreed with a smile. "It fits."

"Alright! So, the band is together and we have a name." Austin smiled. "We're a band. A real band."


	35. Bent Not Broken

**I'm so excited about this chapter, I can't even put it into real words. I know its going to make some of you mad, but rest assured, it's all been thought out... for several days. I thought about this chapter for several days. I'm so proud of what it holds and what it means for rest of the story. Some of my favorite chapters are going to come from this one.**

**Anyway, thank for you the reviews. They mean everything. Also, to the person who reviewed who called themselves cantloginsorry please, if you do have an account, please log in if you can because I want to message you. I need to tell you something and I want to thank you more privately as you gave me the push I needed for this chapter.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally drove to the shelter the day of the concert feeling excited, nervous, and everything in-between. It was going to be such a productive and filling day for the group there. The night before had been a good one for the group as well, as they crowded around the rec area with pizza and homemade smores. Nerves were on an all time high, but so was the pure excitement that happened to be running their veins.

Ally knew they could do this. Trish knew they could do this. They could only hope the group believed they could too. It seemed as if this were true. They were all talking a mile a minute, exchanging last minute ideas, and preparing for what was collectively being called "the greatest day of their messed up lives". She had to laugh when she heard this. Rocky should not be in change of people. Things like that happened.

But it didn't matter. They had worked hard for this. Them as single people, and together as a group. They put aside many differences and problems to form a band that might not be perfect, but was honest and true. They had survived terrible things in their lives, and while some were still hurting, they were pushing through every day and trying to work toward becoming more then their pasts. She admired this, and was thankful for the chance to get to know such a great group of people. This included her co workers.

Trish had made a shelter that was literally falling apart from the inside, and changed it into something that was slowly becoming a great place for those who may not fit in to call home. And Ryland was working wonders with each teen, pulling them aside and doing things Ally only wished she could. She needed to sit aside with him one day, and just learn. There was a lot to learn from that man.

Even Jackson, who had been released from the hospital and was resting at home, had helped a lot. It was him who helped in the very beginning to pull it all back together, and even despite their differences and his judgment being clouded by his own problems, he loved what he did and he honestly cared about each one of them.

Ally sat in front of the shelter, staring at it. Her mind wandered back to her very first day, the day she came in, a young and scared girl trying to earn some volunteer time, seeing the craziness the place brought, and the raw and real problems some faced each day. Things you would never think about because for most, it isn't a reality.

She remembered walking down the hall, not really sure what she was supposed to do. Her smile widened at the memory of seeing Riker for the first time. Head down, hands in a notebook, not watching where he was going, it was their first of many encounters that almost ended with one of them going down on the floor. He went to catch her, but she didn't need the catching, and was very confused to when he didn't say a word. He just smiled at her, this odd smile she didn't understand at the time.

She didn't see that smile for months after that, and even when Marie had explained why he didn't talk, she didn't see the boy she met on that very first day. She didn't see that boy for months. She happened to be pulling up like she was right then, and had heard a guitar playing. Music was and always had been her passion, and she went to investigate.

It was just past the last frost, and the ground was finally done being frozen. Riker was sitting under a tree, his hands over an old acoustic guitar. He was alarmed to see her, and had stopped playing the moment she showed up. He stood, defensively holding his ground, as if ready for a fight.

"I never knew you played music," she said carefully. She knew that stance well. That was how he was with most of the people in the shelter.

He glared back at her.

"Listen, I didn't mean to interrupt. You see, I didn't know who was playing and it was so good, I had to come look. I never meant to scare you." He didn't move. He didn't dare stop staring at her. Ally was at a loss. She was right, she was beginning to see. Marie, that was. He was impossible to crack.

And then an idea hit her. She ran away for a moment, back to her car where she had left an old guitar of her own some time ago. She grabbed it, and ran back, noticing he still hadn't moved. She carefully sat down near the tree, and tried to remember the song she had written at one point that was close to her heart.

_Made a wrong turn once or twice_

_ Dug my way out, blood and fire_

_ Bad decisions, that's alright_

_ Welcome to my silly life_

He stared at her, his head leaning to the side, but he didn't move.

_ Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood_

_ Miss 'No way, it's all good'_

_ It didn't slow me down._

_ Mistaken, always second guessing_

_ Underestimated, look I'm still around_

His body seemed less defensive, but his face remained guarded.

_ Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel_

_ Like you're less than, less than perfect_

_ Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel_

_ Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me_

He walked toward her, grabbing guitar and starting to play softly, adding to her own music with his eyes glued to hers. She had stopped singing at this point, and was just continuing the beat as he watched her. They played until their fingers hurt, and even then, Ally had to smile.

_I didn't know you played._ He quickly wrote on a page.

_It's not a side I show of myself often, _she wrote back with a smile.

_Why? You're good. I would think people would love to see you play._

"I could say the same for you." She motioned to the paper. "Would you prefer me to write?"

_No, I prefer hearing your voice. Someone should at least have that option._

Ally grabbed the notebook and flipped it to a new page. "You may not have that option, but you have the option of showing other things. Things that make you just as great as someone who does have the option to talk. If you want, I'll listen." He seemed hesitant still. "It's a new day. It's a new page. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Ally smiled as the memory faded and voices from that very moment flooded her mind. She saw a group of people running her way, all excited in their matching outfits and rockstar personas. She laughed as she got out of the car, grabbing each in a hug, still thinking about the day that Riker finally let her in as she grabbed him into a hug.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered into his ear. He leaned back for a moment, giving her a look of confusion. She simply shook her head and pulled him back in. "Just know that I am. And that's all that matters."

He shook his head too, as if not to question her and they made their way inside.

"So, we have a bit of a crisis."

"And what's that?" Ally asked, noticing everyone was there and seemed ready.

Rydel stepped forward with a sign. "I lost my voice," Ally read out loud. "Oh no."

"We can't do the duet that Austin and Rydel planned to do." Rocky sighed, looking a bit annoyed. "Well, we have one option. It's totally up to you, but this song is great. They've been practicing and I think your voice would be a great fit, Ally."

"What?!"

"Come on, we need someone to cover the song," Rocky begged.

"Guys, no."

"What, what?" Austin also asked.

Rocky pushed him. "It's just one song, and it needs to be a male and female duet. You're the only hope. It's too good of a song to give up on. Please, Ally? For us?"

No one else seemed to object, minus the look of confusion on Austin's face, but Ally looked past that. Even Riker was giving her a gentle nod, telling her to give that talent of hers a chance. Rocky was pleading, on his hands and knees with a stupid grin on his face for her to do it, and how could she say no to that?

Finally, she caved. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll learn the words on the way there. It'll be fine. I won't make you give up a song. How long until we leave?"

Trish came running into the room. "Now! We're late."

Ally looked up in shock, grabbing the group and telling them to make sure they got everything. Within minutes, everything was piled into Ryland, Ally, and Trish's cars, and they were on their way to the beach to do their very first show. Nerves were starting to show at this point, Ally noted as she watched Austin look around the car nervously, his eyes flickering from Rydel to Riker and back again. Rydel was playing with a bracelet and Riker was tapping his leg. They were scared.

"You guys are going to be great," she promised them.

Riker looked at her with a smile. The others were in the next car, and Ryland was driving the remainder of the things needed in his.

It was definitely summer in Miami, as they unloaded the things from the car, and began lugging them toward the stage which seemed miles away, but it really wasn't. Ally still hadn't gotten a chance to see the lyrics of the song, but wasn't worried. She was great at learning things quickly. They dragged guitars and equipment all the way their, meeting up with the director of the place and learning they would be on in less than an hour.

The beach looked great. There were tables of food and drinks everywhere, and prerecorded music was blasting through the large speakers at the stage. People were swimming and laughing, chasing each other with water guns, or playing beach games. Ally smiled. Despite her hatred of the beach, she had to admit it looked great.

Austin glared at the water. "Glad I'm not in there today."

"Next time, we don't try and impress," she told him with a laugh.

"Oh, whatever," he laughed too. He changed his expression a second later. "Are you sure you're okay with doing this song? I mean, I get if you don't want to."

"Why not?" she answered. "It's important to you guys. I'll get over it."

He seemed doubtful still, but nodded anyway. Trish whisked them away for a moment, leaving Ryland with Kelly and Taylor who had shown up minutes after they arrived. They chatted for several minutes before the first band got onto the stage, introducing themselves as Hollywood Ending and breaking into an upbeat song.

"Are you going to look at that song now?" Ryland asked Ally, who had forgotten about it again in the craziness.

She gasped. "Oh! Thank you for reminding me. I almost forgot."

She pulled it out of her pocket and began to read it. It was really good. She would have to thank Rocky later for giving her such a great song to sing to. He really was such a great writer. And it was something slower for him, which she liked. But she couldn't help but think the song seemed oddly familiar for some reason. Within a few minutes, she had her parts down and was eagerly awaiting the band's start.

Hollywood Ending's set was great. The boys were high energy and they seemed to love the crowd. Ally thought they would go somewhere fast if they kept pushing it.

"Ally!" Rocky came running up to her. "We're on in a few minutes. This is insane. I wish we could do this everyday. Anyway, we're going to need to backstage in a few minutes. The duet is the second to last song and we're only doing five, so we need to make sure you're ready to go when we need you. Okay? Besides, you've got to see the beach from behind the stage. It's freakin' sick!"

Ally said goodbye to Ryland and the others, following Rocky from where he had come.

Ally watched as people began to switch the instruments and prepared for At Nerves End's set. The others were standing around, looking nervous yet excited and all eyes were on the crowd that had formed during the first set. It was all on them now. The others had started the show, and they were going to have to live up to such a great opener. She didn't have a doubt in her mind they would.

"And next up, we have another homegrown talent. They're five very talented musicians, and we're excited to say we're their very first live show! No pressure!" The crowd laughed. The group exchanged looks. It was almost time.

"Wait!" Austin said. "I have an idea. Remember that line from the song we wrote a while go, Rocky?"

"Which one?"

"Ready, set, rock."

"Oh, yeah."

"Let's go on to that." He smiled widely. "At the count of three, put your hands in and we'll shout it. It can be our signature."

The group agreed and as the man continued to praise them, Austin started, "One, two, three…"

Ally watched with a smile.

"Ready, set, ROCK!"

"And now, without further ado, AT NERVES END!"

They started with a song that Rocky had written called Crazy 4 You, which was high beat and very catchy. They were rocking the stage and the crowd seemed to love it. Despite only two males to back up the chorus, the song sounded great live, and when it ended, Ally was trying to not have tears in her eyes. At the very beginning, all had been nervous. You would have never guessed it was the same five people at the end of the song. They were smiling, dancing, and laughing as they prepared for the next.

"This is a cover. We're big fans of Maroon 5 and our drummer has a very special person in the audience today. He wants to sing it to her." Rocky smiled and motioned for Ratliff to come forward. "Come steal her heart, bro."

Ellington walked up nervously, his eyes scanning the crowd until they fell on Kelly's, who was grinning ear to ear. She was dancing along with the background music, but her eyes never left his. He looked toward everyone else. "Hi. My name is Ratliff, and I'm going to be singing a song for you today."

Ally was full crying at this point. Her heart was so filled with pride for the group in front of her, and seeing Ratliff in front of a crowd, singing to someone he liked a lot, and her singing the words right back to him, was something else. Her eyes were filled with tears as well. They seemed to sing the song together until the end,

"Driving slow on Sunday Morning… and I'd never want to leave..."

Ratliff smiled widely. "Can I ask someone in the crowd something quickly, if you don't mind? We haven't made it official yet, so I'm asking you now. Kelly Voosen, will you be my girlfriend?"

From the crowd, as Taylor picked her up so everyone could see her bright red face, she nodded.

He grinned and went back behind the drums, his eyes gleaming with excitement. She gave him a thumbs up from the side of the stage. He mouthed thank you to her, and went back into place.

Rocky smiled. "Austin, I do believe it's your turn to introduce the next song."

"I guess you're right," he agreed. "This next song was written by everyone on this stage right now… and it's called A Billion Hits. We hope someday, we can say that will be us."

Ally didn't see too much of the song, other than the fact that Austin could dance his ass off. The director had begun to set her up for the next song, and she was preparing herself to go onstage and hopefully do a good job. There weren't really any nerves, more so high hopes that she could do the song and do it the way the band had originally thought of.

"Thank you so much!" Rocky yelled suddenly. "That was A Billion Hits. Now, this next song requires a very special guest. Help me welcome one of our best friends, Ally Dawson to the stage! Normally, Rydel would sing this song with Austin, but today she can't, so Ally is filling in." Ally stepped onto stage and waved to a crowd of at least 500 people. She couldn't help but gasp. Who would have thought?

"This song was written by the bass player in the band. He's unable to say it himself, but he's a badass song writer, and even better bass player! Give it up to Riker!"

Ally swallowed. Riker wrote this song? Wait a second…

"Okay, so here we go."

Ally didn't have a chance to stop anyone, even when Riker gave her a look. Austin tried to say something to her, but it was too late. Rocky had begun the opening guitar notes.

Ally swallowed again, and decided she had no choice.

"Right from the start, you were a thief, you stole my heart. And I, your willing victim." Ally looked to Riker, who was staring at Rocky and Ally, his face shocked. She had no idea this was going to happen. It was obvious who the song was about. But it was just too late. "I let you see the parts of me, that weren't all that pretty. And with every touch, you fixed them."

Austin walked her way, putting an arm around her. He whispered he was sorry in her ear.

"Now, you've been talking in your sleep. Uh oh, things you never say to me. Oh, oh, tell me that you've had enough of our love… our love…"

They began to sing together, "Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough." Ally swallowed at the next line in the song, because she had said it to Riker at one point when trying to calm him down in the early days of their friendship, "Just a second, we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again… It's in the stars, it's been written in the scars of our hearts, we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again."

Austin moved closer to her, and even Ally had to admit that the song felt good to sing. It was such a power ballad and was a beautiful song. But it pained her to know that it was probably about her. She tried to forget this and focus on the sound of Austin's voice.

"I'm sorry I don't understand, where all of this is coming from. I thought that we were fine."

"Oh, we had everything," she sang.

"Your head is running wild again, my dear we still have everything, and it's all in your mind."

"Yeah, but this is happening," she continued.

"You've been having real bad dreams, oh, oh. You used to lie so close to me, oh, oh, there's nothing more than empty sheets, between our love… oh, our love… our love."

"Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough, just a second we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again. It's in the stars, it's been written in the scars of our hearts, we're not broken just bent, and we can learn to love again." The problem was the crowd was getting into it, and they were killing it, so they also got into it. Austin was belting out notes she had never seen him sing before, and she felt more confident singing than she had in a long time.

Ally sighed to herself and continued, "Oh, tear ducts and rust…"

"I'll fix it for us."

"We're collecting dust."

"But our loves enough!"

"You're holding it in…"

"You're pouring a drink!"

"Nothing is as bad as it seems…"

All eyes were on Ally. This was her moment to hit the high note. She took a deep breath and looked out to the crowd and then sang, "We'll come clean!"

"Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough. Just a second we're not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again. Its in the stars, it's been written in the scars of our hearts, we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again… just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough. Just a second we're not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again. It's in the stars, it's been written in the scars of our hearts, we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again. Oh, we can learn to love again."

"We can learn to love again…"

"Oh, oh, that we're not broken, just bent…"

Ally didn't know what Austin was doing. He had been continuing to move toward her during the last chorus, his eyes determined and smiling at her. He was sweating, and breathing heavy as he put his mic near hers, and they sang the last notes of the song,

"And we can learn to love again…"

Ally went to close her mouth, a huge smile of pride on her face, as someone's lips were placed on hers. It was such a shock, it didn't even occur to her that it was happening until it was over, and all she could do was stare at the blond before her in surprise until a sound broke them apart.

Riker had just slammed his bass onto the stage, and stormed off, leaving nothing but shocked faces and opened mouths behind him.

No words could be said, as the moment that happened the crowd erupted into applause, as if it were a live music video, and not a song gone wrong. Ally looked around her, not sure what to do. Rocky was staring at her, not understanding what he had done, really. Rydel looked confused. Ratliff looked the same. But Austin knew. Not only did he know why the song was important to Riker, he also knew he had just done something that was going to change everything.


	36. Holding It in

**I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT OF THIS CHAPTER. I REALLY, REALLY AM. Stuff just happens and I wanted this to be perfect and when you want perfect, you tend to drive yourself nuts and I just really wish it wouldn't have taken me this long to put it up. But it's here now, and I hope you all don't hate me. You're all so wonderful, honestly.**

**IMPORTANT FOR THE STORY.**

**I WANT YOU TO READ THIS NOTE PLEASE READ THIS.**

**Towards the end of the chapter, you're going to notice a song. I want you to go on youtube and search "Holding It In, Taylor Mathews Clifton Park" and I want you to click on the first link that pops up. It should be a video Taylor Mathews singing a song to a group of a few fans. This song inspired a lot of Riker's actions since I heard it a few months ago. Please listen to it, as it only gives you the full effect if you listen to it as well. Also, the lyrics in this chapter aren't completely right. I was going off ear and sometimes you can't understand what Taylor is saying. Also, watch to the end. He sings to this girl with curly red hair and a stupid smile on her face and maybe, just maybe that girl is me. ;) Okay, it's me. But ignore my expression. I was fangirling big time! LOL.**

**ANYWAY,**

**Thank you so much for the reviews. The amount I got on the last chapter seriously put such a huge smile on my face and I can't thank you enough. I promise I won't make you wait as long for the next chapter.**

**Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we never met?" Ally read, looking at the paper Riker was writing on underneath the tree. It had been almost a month since the day they had first run into each other there, and since then, they'd been ever impossible to separate. She glanced up at the nervous looking boy, a careful smile displaying on her face. Marie had noticed how close they had gotten, and how fast. She too was wondering what this meant. He trusted her… just what did that really mean? "Not really," she finally answered honestly. "But everything happens for a reason, doesn't it?"_

_He sat quiet for a moment, his eyes cast toward the other part of the yard. He turned to her, and grabbed the paper. "Everything?" it said._

_"Doesn't it?" she wondered. "I mean, I have to think so."_

_Riker looked thoughtfully into her eyes but didn't say anything else. He just smiled, like he'd discovered something that no one else ever had. He then began to slip into song mode, his fingers carefully strumming his old guitar, and leaving I nothing but happy music to play through the air._

"Ally?"

"What?" she whispered, feeling her throat tighten. Everything was spinning, and the heat was closing in on her. She could feel the eyes of everyone on her, but she couldn't move. Her brain couldn't process what she had just seen, and guilt was sinking in quickly. Her mind cleared momentarily and she noticed Rocky staring at her with concern.

"Are you okay?"

Ally swallowed.

_"You are seriously talented," Ally gushed a few days after they had first met. She was still slightly nervous to be around him, as he was such a silent person but so loud at the same time. He was sitting under the tree again, his back perched and the guitar on his lap. He glanced nervously at her._

You really think so?_ he wrote._

_She nodded. "Yes. You're fantastic."_

_He seemed unsure of what she had just said, as he fidgeted with the strings of his guitar. He strummed carefully for a moment and then looked up at her. _I was scared when the accident happened.

_Ally breathed in at the mention of the accident. She knew of it, but he'd never mentioned it to her before. Marie had given her the details that she had, but there wasn't much to go off of. His parents had died before there could be a statement and according to the police, Riker had shut down and pretended it never happened. How to go about this she wasn't sure. He was like walking on eggshells. One wrong move, and he'd shut down all over._

I spent a lot of time wondering what had happened. I spent a lot of time hating my life. I still don't think I like it. I accept what happened now, and I know it is what happened, but sometimes, I just wish it never happened. I could be in a band, I could be making music in my old part of town, with my friends. But… not anymore. No one likes the mute kid who doesn't have any friends.

_"Neither of the things you just said are true," she answered softly._

_He smiled at her, not a true one, but a one that said 'thanks for trying'. Ally had no idea what to say. There just wasn't advice, or anything that could be said._

"I need… I don't know what to do." Her words were unsure, scared, and most of all, honest. They were all suddenly ushered off the stage by the person running the show, and immediately Trish was all over Ally. She wasn't exactly yelling, but it also wasn't a casual conversation. She picked up bits and pieces of how unprofessional she was, how she could lose her job over something like that, and how it wasn't over.

That was when Austin cut in. She didn't even notice he was still standing there. "Trish, it wasn't Ally's fault!"

"You can say that, but she didn't push you away!"

"Are you serious?" Austin snapped. "It wasn't like she had much of a chance to do anything. It happened and then it was over. The band stopped. It's over. It can't be changed."

"Austin, this is not on you. I need you to just stand there and wait with the others while I deal with this. Is that understood?"

"No, it's not because you're blaming her for something she didn't do. It's my fault, blame me."

"Austin…"

Ally felt like her head was going to explode, as her boss and friend continued to argue like she wasn't right there. The others were standing around her. Music began to play again, but all Ally could think of was they were missing the point. Someone was gone and if it was one thing she knew, if he wanted to be lost, he wasn't going to be found.

But as she took off, she knew she had to try.

Ally roamed the streets of Miami, her head a fog. She had no idea what she was supposed to do, or how to make this right. Austin was right about one thing, it wasn't her fault. She didn't know that it was Riker's song until it was too late, and she didn't know what Austin had planned to do. But there was no proving this to Riker. He would believe what he wanted.

It was sad to her, as she walked that she had no idea where he would go. If she was honest, he didn't really leave the shelter much, unless it was with the group, or Ally alone. He liked to be somewhere familiar, as it was hard enough for him to communicate there, forget about trying to make sense with strangers.

Ally sighed, feeling her throat tighten again, and the tears finally spill over. Had she just lost Riker forever? Would he never talk to her again? Was this finally it?

She wandered for hours it felt like, but it was hardly one. She received a text from Ryland, saying the group was heading back to the shelter, and that she was needed there. Ally doubted this as she knew Trish was furious. She had good reason to be, as she had just kissed Austin Moon, who not only was underage, but also one of the kids she was supposed to be mentoring, not making out with. Maybe making out with was going a bit too far, but what else could she say? It wasn't like he was a bad looking kid, or that he wasn't a completely wonderful person, because he was. But it wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't right.

And it put her job on the line.

Meanwhile, back at the shelter, Austin was pacing his room, unable to believe how stupid he had just been. Had he regretted it? Not a bit. But not only did he just mess things up for the entire band, he had possibly just cost Ally her job. He felt stupid and young, everything her ex had said he was. He had taken a chance, gone on an emotional will and did what he'd wanted to do for months. But emotions weren't enough for this. Emotions had actions and actions had reactions. And those led to problems.

"Are you okay?"

Rocky stood in the doorway. He stared at his friend with pathetic eyes. "Did I really screw up?"

"Yeah, I'd say so." Rocky smirked a little at the look on his face. "But panicking now isn't going to solve anything."

Austin gave him a look. "Yeah, but nothing I say seems to help anyone."

"Sometimes its better not to say anything," Rocky answered, sitting down. "One thing I've learned in the last few months is to think about what I'm going to say. Sometimes, it's best to just be quiet and let everything work itself out."

"It's not going to work itself out!"

"Maybe not, but right now everyone is really shocked and anything you say right now, is just going to work against you and the entire situation."

"Rocky… I really like her. I mean, I really like her. I don't know what to do. I sleep at night and I dream about her. I wake up and I can't wait to see her. And she supports me. She's always there and she's always the first to check on me. She's not there because it's her job, like some do. She's not doing the things she does because she feels it's right. She's doing it because she cares, and that hurts worse because I don't know what that means."

"What do you mean?"

"I look around me, and I'm not the only one she checks on. She checks on Ratliff. She checks on Rydel. She checks on you, and she checks on Riker. At what point am I no longer special though, and just one of many? I want to stand out, and the only way I thought to do that was to kiss her. And I don't regret it."

"Austin, you have to realize that as much as she cares for you, she does care for everyone else." Rocky sighed, looking pretty defeated himself. The show had been such a high and rush for the group, but it also had been draining and deflating for them at the same time. "And while I can understand why you feel the way you do and much like I'm sure she's told Riker, you also have to understand why it wasn't okay. It's fucked up, but it's life. You don't always get what you want. You don't get a say in things like that."

"I want to be with her. I turn eighteen in a few months. Actually, about a month."

"I don't think you get it. It doesn't matter. If she's here, she's never going to be able to do that for you. And you can't expect her to. I know you care for her, I've known that for months now. I also knew how Riker felt and I knew it was going to lead up to something like this. If she comes back here tonight, alone or with him, you need to back off and let it be. Give it a day or so."

"And then what?"

Rocky sighed, but smiled at him. "That I don't have the answers to, bro."

Ally hated to say she was going to give up on finding Riker, but her body was shutting down on her, and leaving her exhausted. She knew she also couldn't avoid going back to the shelter forever, and figured she might as well go back and get the anger that was being piled on her over with as well. Making her way back to the place that had started it all, she felt tears well in her eyes again. This place was her everything and yet it had a way of tearing her apart.

She made it there within minutes, seeing the doors open and the lights pouring onto the porch. Ally stepped inside, greeted by silence other than the TV. Rydel and Taylor were sitting there, but the moment she walked in, all eyes were on her. And it didn't take long for Trish to find her.

"Ally!"

She turned around to face her boss. "Yes?"

"My office. Now."

Inside, her boss didn't say a word much to her surprise. She just continued to pace, mumbling in another language and once in a while looking her way. Finally, she stopped. "Did you at least find him?"

"No," she answered softly.

The woman laughed a little. "Really? Of all people you can't find him?"

Ally felt sick. Maybe she didn't know Riker anymore. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"Ally, sorry isn't going to fix this. Austin kissed you in public, with half of the town watching. It isn't going to blow over and eventually, people are going to talk. They're going to realize who you are and who he is and it's going to cause a scene. Not to mention, I have to report this. I need to make a statement saying it happened and I'm not sure what this means for you, or for the rest of the shelter. I don't know where we go from here."

Trish sat down, putting her head in her hands. After a moment, she looked up. "You can go. I'll let you know when I know more."

Her entire world felt like it was piling in on her. Ally sighed and decided she needed to go back to her roots. She knew it was wrong, as it wasn't hers to begin with, but she went into Riker's room, and got his old guitar. She walked out back and sat down at the large, old tree and began to strum. Her world was screaming, as was her mind. The last few months were repeating before her. All the good times, the bad, and all the memories she had made her. Regardless of what had happened and the current state of each friendship, she was terrified. If it didn't blow over, and it would change everything, would she be able to say goodbye?

Ally stopped.

_Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we never met?_ His words floated around her as her hands came to a stop. Just as she was going to get up, something fell on her lap. Riker stood before her, and at the sight of him, she could do nothing but stare. She knew he wasn't going to say a word to her, but she knew he must have been watching. He pointed to the paper and then with sad eyes, he walked back toward the shelter.

She waited until he was gone to pick up but when she did, she knew her relationship with everyone in that building was going to change in some way.

_Tell me now what you're feeling_

_I'm addicted to this place,_

_Don't want things to change, no,_

_And all I need is one simple reason,_

_So I can explain why I'm stuck in this faze at all  
Set your heart in this_

_Don't you want to be free?_

_This ain't no one way street_

_You can't decide for me_

_I've been holding it in_

_For way too long_

_I've got to tell you the truth_

_I've been holding it in when I'd rather hold you_

_I've been biting my tongue,_

_Trying to stay so strong,_

_This is way overdue,_

_I've been holding it in when I'd rather hold you_

_Hold you… can I hold you?_

_Said hold you, can I hold you?_

_I want us to be like we used to, yeah_

_Staying up late, hanging on each word we say_

_Back then there was room for two_

_Breath on my neck, sleeping on my chest at night_

_Truth will set us free,_

_Bring this war to peace,_

_Girl you give me everything,_

_Because that's what we're gonna need_

_I've been holding it in_

_For way too long_

_I've got to tell you the truth_

_I've been holding it in when I'd rather hold you_

_I've been biting my tongue,_

_Trying to stay so strong,_

_This is way overdue,_

_I've been holding it in when I'd rather hold you_

_And I don't wanna stop,_

_If what we got is real_

_It ain't worth the pain_

_So baby tell me how you feel_

_This coast to coast love is strong enough_

_I've been holding it in,_

_For way too long_

_I gotta tell you the truth_

_I've been holding it in when I'd rather hold you_

_I've been biting my tongue_

_Trying to stay so strong_

_This is way overdue_

_I've been holding it in when I'd rather hold you_

_Hold you… hold you_

_Can I hold you?_

_Hold you… hold you…_

_Can I hold you?_

_I've been holding it in when I'd rather hold you._


End file.
